


The Familiar of Hanzo

by Jakallx



Category: Overwatch (Video Game)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Magic, Alternate Universe - Teenagers, Dancing, Fluff, Halloween, Hanzo needs to learn the value of friendship, Humor, It's the Winter Ball, Kissing, M/M, Magic School, Oh look more chapters, Secret Tunnels, Teen Angst, Teen Romance, That's right they are all witches, Valentine's Day Fluff, Witches, With familiars, like going on a date in the castle dungeons, more cute boys doing cute witchy stuff, more ghosts, more kissing, this is the worst, totally not a rip off of the Yule ball
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-10-18
Updated: 2017-04-23
Packaged: 2018-08-23 03:01:11
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 9
Words: 47,597
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8311435
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Jakallx/pseuds/Jakallx
Summary: He hadn’t seen the hat in the dim light of the hallways, but now he looked down at it in horror. Not only had he summoned a human, an American human, he had summoned a cowboy as well.

High school sucks for Hanzo Shimada. Things get a whole lot worse when he accidentally summons Jesse McCree as his familiar. 
It's a Witch School AU with animal companion familiars. Basically, Overwatch, Harry Potter, and Familiar of Zero throw a party on Halloween. There's ghosts and teenage romance.Now with Bonus Chapters!Chapter 8: The Winter Ball - Hanzo discovers his familiar is full of surprises, and that he doesn't mind dancing if the person he is dancing with is Jesse.Chapter 9: The Date - Hanzo asks his best friend Amélie for dating advice. The subsequent date with Jesse goes about as well as you can expect.





	1. The Summoning

There was a chill in the wind as it blew through the cracks in the castle windows. It whistled around the almost-empty classroom, and Hanzo Shimada shivered when it blew over his semi-bared skin as he prepared the ritual.

_This time,_ he thought as he chalked the last symbol onto the wooden floorboards before him, _this time I’ll do it. I’ll show them the most fearsome familiar that has ever been summoned._

It would be a dragon. Enormous and blue like his mother’s. Hanzo swallowed heavily and ground his teeth, to be honest he would take any colour dragon at this point. Well, any other colour than green.

That was why Hanzo was up here. In the tallest tower of the castle, in the dead of night, surrounded by flickering candles. They were the only light-source other than the silver of the full moon. The shadows of the room twisted around the empty desks and chairs turning their innocent shapes into menacing talons.

Hanzo shook his head. He would not shame his mother with his incompetence any longer. Nobody had ever heard of a Shimada that hadn’t summoned their familiar by the age of fifteen. Hanzo was sixteen now, and to add insult to injury, his younger brother Genji had effortlessly summoned his own dragon a few months ago. And he hadn’t let Hanzo forget it for a second.

Well, no longer. Hanzo refused to leave this room until he had a familiar bound to him. He would rather starve to death up here than bear another day of his brother rubbing Hanzo’s own uselessness in his face.

Hanzo took a deep breath and let it out slowly as he clasped his hands in front of him. It almost looked as though he was praying. Hanzo didn’t usually believe in the gods, but he decided that tonight he should probably ask them for a favour. _Please,_ he thought, _please help me do this._

Then he recalled what Professor Morrison had said about the summoning. “Visualise your familiar. Call to them,” he had said as he paced up and down the classroom. His own familiar, a beautiful bloodhound with intelligent black eyes, padded after him faithfully. “Imagine that they are connected to your heart, because they soon will be. Your familiar is your companion for life. Call out to them, and they will come.”

Hanzo tried to imagine his dragon. Coiled and powerful, massive teeth ready to devour those who would dare to cross him. He called out to the dragon. Said the words of the incantation aloud, ready to feel the tug at his heart, ready to see his dragon before him.

Nothing.

Hanzo waited a few more seconds before slumping, shoulders drooping forward. Defeated. Another failure.

_Please,_ Hanzo prayed earnestly this time. _Please. I’ll take something… anything._

He waited again, but as time passed Hanzo felt the anguish build in his chest. He couldn’t do it. He was an utter failure –

He felt it.

A tug.

On his heart.

His stomach leapt into his throat as a particularly strong gust of wind blew out the candles. Yet despite the cold, Hanzo could feel warmth building in his chest. It spread from his heart to his lungs, it became warmer and warmer until it burned him. His lungs were burning, everything hurt. Hanzo screamed.

Then the space before him split in two.

The air crackled with lightning as a massive rift appeared. Hanzo threw up a hand to shield his eyes as white light poured into the room, obliterating the menacing shadows. The pressure continued to build in his chest as _something_ came through the strange portal and thumped heavily onto the ground. Hanzo’s heart beat at a wicked pace. He should be scared, if he was rational, but he was far more nervous. None of the other summonings he had witnessed had ever been like this.

Abruptly, the white light disappeared and left Hanzo blinking furiously in the dark classroom. As his night vision slowly returned he made out a dark shape before him. He was about to prod it with a finger to see if it was alive when the shape moved. Then it groaned.

Hanzo froze. That sounded like a human.

The shape sat up, one hand rubbing its forehead as it shook its head. A shabby mane of hair dancing from side to side.

Definitely human. Hanzo’s stomach dropped. Any lingering warmth was suddenly gone as his blood turned to ice.

Then he heard the door behind him slam open. Hanzo whirled around and leapt up to face the threat. To his horror, Genji strutted into the room, his little luminescent green dragon trailing after him. Hanzo shuffled in front of the strange human-shaped thing he had summoned, trying to hide it.

But Genji had already seen it. “You summoned a human?” Genji’s eyes were wide, the silver moonlight reflecting off the malicious intent brewing there.

Before Hanzo could reply, whatever was behind him groaned again. Both brothers turned to it in expectation.

“Urgh, where the hell am I?” said the human shape. Then it pointed at Genji’s dragon, “And what _the fuck_ is that?”

Genji laughed as Hanzo felt cold dread begin to gnaw at his stomach. Genji looked between the shape and Hanzo.

“You didn’t just summon a human,” Genji said, a cruel glee lighting up his boyish face, “you summoned an _American_. Wait till mother hears about this.”

“If you even mention this to her I will –

“Why are you speaking Japanese? What the hell is going on here?” the human behind him asked again, stronger this time.

Hanzo opened his mouth to reply, but fell silent when he heard them. Massive footsteps. Heavy. Foreboding. They could only belong to one person in the entire castle. And sure enough, Professor Reyes strode through the open door and into the classroom, his familiar, a snow white barn owl, swooping in after him on silent wings.

Reyes stopped in his tracks when he saw the two brothers standing in front of the human on the floor. His owl settled on one of his massive shoulders, the heavy black coat he wore protecting him from the sharp claws. Reyes looked from the brothers, to the shape on the floor, to Genji, before zooming in on Hanzo and the mess of chalk and candles he was standing in the centre of.

“What. _The hell_. Is going on here?” Reyes asked. His voice deathly quiet.

“Hey English, thank god. And that’s exactly what I want to know,” the human started to talk again. “Why are –

“Shut the hell up,” Reyes cuts him off.

Hanzo didn’t breathe, he prayed that the human understood just how dangerous the situation was. He seemed to, because none of them said another word.

Reyes pointed at Genji. “You. Get to bed Shimada. And if you even think about telling anyone what has happened here, I’ll have you in detention for a week.”

Genji nodded quickly, muttering a very timid, “yes sir.” Even his familiar had dimmed its glow and made itself smaller, the dragon hiding in amongst Genji’s shock of green hair. Genji walked with his head down until he passed Reyes. Then he turned around and threw a smirk at Hanzo before exiting the room.

Hanzo briefly shut his eyes, trying to push down the rage that reared its ugly head. Now was not the time to lose his composure.

“This isn’t the time to be taking a nap, other Shimada. You still haven’t answered my question.”

“I tried the summoning ritual sir,” Hanzo replied in a tight voice. “It opened a portal. This thing came through.”

“ _Excuse me_ ,” the voice from behind him sounded outraged.

“Shut up,” said Reyes and Hanzo at the same time.

Reyes glared at Hanzo. “Headmaster’s office. Now. Both of you.”

The walk to the East Tower was humiliating. Hanzo was at least thankful that he had performed the ritual in the middle of the night when the rest of the school was asleep. Reyes was silent as he escorted the two boys through the dark hallways. Hanzo kept his eyes on the Professor’s rigid back, refusing to look at the human keeping pace alongside him. That didn’t stop the human from drawing attention and loudly exclaiming at every new painting and detail he spotted in the candlelit halls. Twice the boy tried to talk to Hanzo. The first time he attempted some shared comradery that Hanzo steadfastly ignored. The second time he asked, rather rudely, why Hanzo was half-naked.

“It’s traditional,” Hanzo hissed at the foolish boy. The human just raised his eyebrows and smirked back at him.

“Silence,” growled Reyes.

Hanzo glared daggers at the other boy, willing him to say something so that when the teachers asked why there was a burnt corpse in the hallways, Hanzo could say he was provoked. Unfortunately for Hanzo, the boy had decided he didn’t want to push his luck and was quiet for the rest of the journey.

Their little party reached the huge metal-studded doors of the Headmaster’s office and Reyes swept in without knocking. The two boys trailed in behind him, and Professor Morrison looked up from his desk at the intrusion. A single eyebrow was slowly raised in silent questioning when he saw Hanzo. The second followed when he spotted the other boy.

The round tower office was lit by a roaring fire, giving out enough warmth for the entire room. Lazing in front of the fire was an enormous bloodhound. It opened a single eye to observe the disturbance, before judging the party to be non-threatening, and returning to sleep. Bookshelves circled the entirety of the walls and reached up into the high ceiling. There were a few comfortable-looking couches gathered around the fire, but the real centrepiece of the room was the massive oak desk that dominated the space. It was piled high with extremely neat stacks of paperwork and ancient leather-bound texts. Behind the desk sat Professor Morrison.

Hanzo glanced over at the human he had summoned and did a double-take. In the light, the boy looked completely different. He was dressed in a red flannel-patterned shirt, sleeves upturned at the elbows. He wore jeans and leather boots, dirty and mud-stained, as though he had just been in the middle of the country-side. Then Hanzo caught a glimpse of what the boy held in his hand. He hadn’t seen the hat in the dim light of the hallways, but now he looked down at it in horror. Not only had he summoned a human, _an American_ human, he had summoned a _cowboy_ as well. Hanzo’s gaze wondered up to the other boy’s face, and he was caught off-guard by the intense look the human was giving him. He was also a little taken-aback by the human’s face. He was handsome for a start, in a roguish, bad-boy kind of sense. He guessed that the boy was probably the same age as himself, perhaps a little younger. Dark hair framed his face and made his sharp eyes stand out as he studied Hanzo in turn. Hanzo blinked as he caught himself thinking all of this and immediately wondered whether anyone would stop him if he attempted to jump in the fireplace.

His extra-warm thoughts were interrupted when Reyes clumped over to Morrison’s desk and leaned against it, almost pushing one of the stacks of paperwork over. Morrison began to roll his eyes before catching himself and looking at the boys.

“You going to tell me what this is about Professor Reyes?”

Reyes grimaced at Morrison, “You felt the surge of power right?” The Headmaster nodded, his eyes flicking back to Hanzo. “Well, Shimada The Elder here thought it would be a good idea to try and attempt a summoning tonight. On a full moon. Without supervision.”

“Oh, did he now?” Morrison’s eyes narrowed. “Well Shimada, tell us what happened.”

Hanzo took a deep breath and described the night’s events as quickly as he could. He left out the heart tugging and as much of Genji as possible. All the while the other boy’s eyes got wider and wider, incredulous. As though he had never heard of a summoning ritual before.

When Hanzo finished, Morrison began to open his mouth, but the other boy cut him off.

“You guys are shitting me, right?” he asked, a weird grin on his face. “I’m being pranked, aren’t I? You aren’t seriously magic, or witches, or some shit?”

All three of them stared at the human. Reyes sighed then, and clicked his fingers, summoning a bright ball of flame.

The boy looked impressed, but then crossed his arms. “You can’t fool me with that. There’s probably some kind of hidden chemical thing.” He smirked at Hanzo as if he should be sharing this moment of scoffing. Before Hanzo could react, Reyes swept his arm at the human. Flame shot forward in a wave, roaring as it swept around the other boy to encase him in a super-heated tornado. Reyes clicked his fingers again, and as suddenly as the flame appeared, it went out. Leaving a very scared, and slightly singed human behind.

“Ok. Point taken. That was definitely real,” the boy squeaked.

“Yes, it was,” said Morrison wryly. “Thank you, Professor Reyes, for that demonstration.” Morrison paused then, and leaned back in his chair, rubbing his forehead. “What’s your name, boy?”

The human looked hard at the two teaches before muttering, “Jesse. McCree. Sirs.” He tacked the last word onto the end a little nervously. _Good,_ Hanzo thought. At least he could be polite.

“Well Mr McCree, I apologise on behalf of the School for what has happened tonight, but it looks like you are stuck with Mr Shimada here. He put out the call for a familiar, and it seems as though you have answered it.”

“Wait, this is _my_ fault now?” Jesse asked. “Excuse me, I was just in the middle of winning a card game back home. I didn’t ask to be summoned through a magic portal tonight… What’s a familiar anyway?”

Reyes answered the question this time. “A familiar is a witch’s life-long companion. They are a weapon, and a source of power. They protect their witch and in-turn are protected and cared for –

“Yeah, nuh-uh. That ain’t happening.” Jesse cut off Reyes, making an x-shape with both arms in front of his chest. “I am not becoming Tits-Megee’s witch slave,” he said as he pointed at Hanzo. Reyes’s lips twitched at the comment, and Hanzo felt his face heat up. “See ya later weirdos. I am outta here.” And with that, Jesse jammed the cowboy hat onto his head and marched towards the doors of the office.

He got halfway across the room before Hanzo felt a sharp tug on his heart. Then pain blossomed in his chest as Jesse was jerked to a sudden stop. Jesse coat-hangered himself backwards onto the floor as Hanzo was tugged forward. A bright light blossomed between them, then coalesced into a ghostly-looking chain. One end was firmly anchored to Hanzo’s chest, the other to Jesse’s neck.  

Jesse looked down at the chain. “What. The hell. Is going on here.”

“Hmmm, interesting,” said Morrison.

“The contract hasn’t been completed yet,” said Reyes, looking at Morrison.

“Contract, what contract? I ain’t signed anything,” said Jesse as he picked himself off the floor.

“Well, maybe that’s the answer there,” said Reyes looking at the fireplace, flames crackling in his eyes as he mused over the situation. “As far as I know, a human has never been summoned as a familiar before. Perhaps the rules are different.”

“Yes, that must be it.” Morrison nodded as he picked up on Reyes’ train of thought. He looked at the two boys. “I believe both sides need to accept the contract before it is made permanent. If the contract isn’t accepted, then it will dissolve by the next full moon.”

“Next full moon?” Hanzo finally spoke up, barely daring to hope that he won’t be permanently saddled with the shame of having a cowboy as a familiar.

“How long away is that?” asked Jesse.

“A month,” Reyes shrugged, massive shoulders almost dislodging his owl familiar. It looked at him accusingly, ruffling its feathers, but Reyes ignored it. “Until then it looks like you are stuck together. I would give you detention for breaking curfew Shimada, but I believe the next month will be punishment enough. You are dismissed.”

Morrison threw Reyes a quick frown before Jesse piped up again.

“Hang on. How am I supposed to know whether I’ve accepted the contract or not? How do I _not_ accept it?”

Morrison’s face softened. “Well, usually it is confirmed by an act of love, or compassion.” Hanzo felt his face go beyond red and he refused to look at his familiar. He heard Jesse cough awkwardly behind him. Morrison’s mouth twitched upwards, “I believe though, that it would probably be just as simple as you saying, ‘I accept,’ and meaning it, Mr McCree.”

Hanzo finally looked at Jesse, the other boy had his face hidden in the shadow of the brim of his hat.

“So I guess, I’ll just not do that, then. Ok. And there’s no way for you fancy grown-up witches to break this chain now?”

“Nope,” said Reyes. “Meddling with another witch’s familiar is forbidden. The chain disappears once the contract is accepted anyway. Until then you are limited in movement.”

“Don’t worry,” said Morrison smiling at them both, the smile not quite reaching his eyes when it settled on Hanzo. “I’m sure Mr Shimada will take good care of you. You are both dismissed.”

It was an abrupt ending to the night. But Hanzo wanted to get out of the office as soon as he could. He had to prepare himself for the embarrassment of breakfast and classes tomorrow. By now Genji would have told the entire school what a failure Hanzo was, and there was going to be no avoiding the barbed comments that would surely come his way.

The walk back to Hanzo’s room was quiet, each boy lost in their thoughts. However, when they got to the little tower room with its draughty window and cold stone floor – and single bed – Hanzo realised he needed to set out some rules.

He turned to Jesse, startling the other boy backwards a step. _Good. You should be scared of me_ , Hanzo thought.

“Rules, now. You are _my_ familiar. You will only speak when spoken to. You will address me as Mr Shimada. You will help me in my daily tasks. You will do the duty of a familiar the best you can until we are both released from this contract.”

Jesse looked at him for a second before laughing in his face. He doubled over, hooting, shaking so hard Hanzo thought he might be having a seizure.

Finally, he straightened up, shaking his head and wiping his eyes. “Yeah, that ain’t happening, _partner_. Cause that’s what we are. If you want me to pick up your dirty laundry, well, you are going to have to pick up mine. What’s your name anyway?”

Hanzo ground his teeth in fury, but didn’t say anything. If the cowboy didn’t know his name, then he would _have_ to call him Mr Shim –

“His name is Hanzo,” an amused voice said from behind them.

Hanzo turned and found Genji nonchalantly leaning against the doorframe. His little dragon hovered above his head like a tiny, green halo.

“And you are?” asked Jesse.

“Genji Shimada, nice to meet you, uh?” Genji held out a hand for Jesse to shake.

“Jesse McCree,” he said as he tipped his hat and took Genji’s hand.

“Get. Out.” Hanzo spat through his teeth.

Genji threw up his hands in exasperation. “Ok, ok. I was just saying hello like a civilised person. I can’t believe he didn’t even tell you his name,” he said addressing the cowboy as though Hanzo was invisible. Genji let out an exaggerated sigh, “I’m so sorry about my brother. Honestly, the degradation of manners these days is appalling. You should have expected better from the elder of the Shimada coven.”

Hanzo summoned a fireball and threw it at Genji’s head. But he was too slow. His younger brother ducked out of the way, quick as a sparrow, laughing as the fireball burst against Hanzo’s open door, singeing the wood.

“See? No respect,” said Genji as he made a break for it down the hallway, a second fireball following him before petering out as Genji ducked around the corner. “Sleep well, boys” he called out.

“Family issues?” asked Jesse after he was gone.

“Shut up,” growled Hanzo. “You get to sleep on the floor.”

Jesse looked at the cold stone. “You going to get me a blanket?”

Hanzo huffed out of his nose before stalking back down the corridor, dragging Jesse behind him. The common room was empty at this time of night, the coals of the fire burning low. Everyone was in bed, and for that, Hanzo was thankful. He stripped one of the couches of its cushions and found a spare blanket in one of the chests that lined the walls. Hanzo threw the bundle at Jesse, the boy fumbling as he tried not to drop everything. Then he turned on his heel and stalked back to his room.

Just as he got into bed, Jesse piped up again. “So… uh, what if I need to pee in the middle of the night.”

Hanzo shut his eyes. Perhaps if he prayed hard enough for death the gods would grant his wish. They had already played one cruel joke on Hanzo tonight, giving him this useless familiar and humiliating him, maybe they would grant him a quick death too?

Hanzo just sighed into his pillow, exhausted and defeated. “Wake me up then.”

“Mmkay,” came the murmur from the floor. “Night night.”

But Hanzo was already asleep.

 


	2. The First Week

Breakfast the next morning was as horrible as Hanzo had envisioned it to be.

First, Jesse wouldn’t even get out of bed, complaining that it was too early, and only relenting when Hanzo mercilessly pulled on the chain connecting them.

Second, Jesse needed a school uniform, because there was no way in hell that Hanzo would be seen with someone who wore a flannel all day. It took Hanzo half an hour and a trip to the supply cupboard to scrounge up the right sized uniform for his useless familiar. And even once Jesse had the uniform on, Hanzo looked at him with disdain. Jesse had left his shirt untucked and obviously had no idea how to tie his tie because it was bundled into a confused knot around his neck. Hanzo, sighed, at least he didn’t look like a cowboy anymore, though he refused to give up wearing the hat when Hanzo tried to take it away. Hanzo didn’t have the energy to push the subject, but thought he might try to get rid of the hat later.

And third, the human dawdled. He would stop to gawk at the view outside the castle windows, or study the horrifically detailed paintings that lined the hallways. All of the delays meant that when Hanzo and Jesse finally entered the Dining Hall for breakfast, the entire school was already there.

A great hush descended over the hall as every single student turned to watch the boys as they walked to their year’s table. Hanzo kept his head down, his face flaming in embarrassment. Meanwhile Jesse, to Hanzo’s immortal shame, waved at people, an easy grin on his face. He even winked at a couple of the older prefects.

When they finally reached his class’s breakfast table Hanzo sat as far away from the rest of the class as he could get. As Jesse slid onto the bench beside him, his eyes lit up in wonder at the huge assortment of food that adorned the table. His familiar began heaping his plate with everything he could get his hands on before shoving it into his mouth so fast it was as though he wasn’t going to see another meal for a month. Hanzo picked at a piece of toast and drank tea with a sour expression on his face.

Jesse stopped eating long enough to give Hanzo’s toast a questioning look. “Dry toast?” he said through a mouthful of bacon, “No wonder nobody likes you.”

Hanzo looked up at Jesse, not even bothering to hide his tired expression. It was bad enough that he had to endure every single other student’s taunting whispers and snide comments, now he also had to deal with someone he couldn’t get more than three metres away from. Jesse’s easy grin faded when caught Hanzo’s expression. He opened his mouth (which was, disgustingly, still full of food) to say something, but was cut off by a sneering voice behind him.

“Nobody likes him,” Genji said loud enough for the entire table could hear, “because he has his head so far up his own –

“Nobody asked you,” a cold, silky voice interrupted. Hanzo turned to see Amélie towering over his younger brother, the permanently dead look in her eyes made Genji take a step backwards. She was a final year student and abused the status it gave her whenever she could. “Leave, child.”

“Tch.” Genji returned to where his friends, Lucio and Lena, were frowning at the exchange. Lucio leaned in to whisper something to Genji, making his brother scowl momentarily, but Genji waved away the comment with a hand. Both of Genji’s friends didn’t say much to Hanzo, but they didn’t exactly stop Genji either. Not that he would want them to, Hanzo thought bitterly, Genji was his problem. Lena’s gaze lingered on Amélie a touch too long as the older girl made a rude gesture at Genji’s back before turning to Hanzo and Jesse.

Jesse stared at Amélie as she settled onto the seat beside Hanzo. Amélie was the only one who really talked to him, but he suspected it was only because they were in the same club.

“Uhhh, you have something on the side of your face,” squeaked Jesse, tapping his own cheek. Hanzo looked at Amélie as she… smiled was perhaps the wrong word. Her perfect lips pulled back over her sharp teeth, like a predator that has just sighted her prey. She reached up to the enormous spider perched on the side of her face, a streak of red on its abdomen the other only colour on its jet-black body. She took it in her hand and held it out to Jesse who leaned as far away from it as he could get without falling off the bench.

“This is Widowmaker. She is my familiar. Say hello.” Amélie’s French accent curved the words smoothly from her mouth.

“Hello,” said Jesse in a very small voice, not taking his eyes off the enormous spider.

“Would you like to hold her?”

“No thank you. I’m good,” Jesse said a little too quickly than was polite. He looked like he was trying not to scream. Hanzo’s lips quirked up despite himself as Amélie finally took the spider away from Jesse. His familiar shivered as he watched Widowmaker scuttle back up Amélie’s arm and settle into her long hair.

“So. Hanzo,” she finally said as she turned to him. “I heard you managed to summon your own familiar. Only, it’s a human, and you can’t get rid of it.”

“Him,” Hanzo corrected with a grimace. “Jesse meet Amélie, Amélie this is Jesse.”

Amélie held out a hand for Jesse to shake, which he thoroughly checked for spiders before taking it. “Pleased to meet you,” he said easily.

Amélie tilted her head. “Where are you from, Jesse?”

But Jesse had started shovelling food into his mouth again. He tried speaking around the food and ended up saying something that sounded like ‘ew ‘echico.

A single bell-chime rang out in the hall and Hanzo and Amélie dropped their disgusted expressions for something a little more panicked. Amélie leapt up and flashed her teeth at the boys. “Got to run,” she said grimacing, “I have Reyes’s class first.” She stalked off, her skirt swaying in time with her long hair as she joined the other students rushing to leave the hall.

Jesse looked at Hanzo questioningly. “Ten-minute warning bell,” Hanzo answered curtly. “Move. We have to walk to the Western Wing for potions.”

Jesse took a piece of toast for the road and munched on it loudly as Hanzo led him through the castle. He tried to ignore the curious, and in some cases down-right hostile, looks from the other students. Jesse didn’t seem to notice though. He would say hello or ‘howdy’ to anyone who stared too long. It was more attention than Hanzo could bear and it made him keep his eyes glued to the floor as they walked through the castle.

It turned out that potions, and every single other class that day and the rest of the week, was a disaster.

Jesse would get bored quickly and end up sighing loudly and putting his boots up on the tables at every opportunity he could get. He was also a smartass and constantly talked to the other students in Hanzo’s class. Including, to Hanzo’s personal horror, his own brother. Jesse was already more popular with his class than Hanzo had ever been, and it annoyed him far more than he wanted to admit. It made Hanzo not want to speak to Jesse much, so he didn’t. He would only answer the other boy’s questions when they got too persistent or Jesse whined at him. He just tried to ignore his familiar as much as possible, dreading what the rest of the month would be like if the first week was this bad.

Weapons class was always unpleasant for Hanzo and Wednesday's was no different. It was the only class Genji beat him in, and even now that Hanzo had managed to summon a familiar, it was still humiliating.

Professor Zaryanova would yell at them all, forcing the class to learn how their familiars became weapons when they needed to. Genji was her pride and joy, his dragon effortlessly becoming a gleaming sword, razor sharp and with a green glow.

Jesse looked around at the other students worriedly as their familiars turned into various assorted weapons and back again. “Isn’t this a little dangerous?” he said uncertainly to Hanzo as they stood on the sidelines of the gym. “Why do witches need guns anyway? Seems a little too modern for this place. Don’t you guys have, like, magic?”

Hanzo sighed at his ignorant familiar. His life was a constant set of trials. “Witches need their familiars to be their weapons because there are more threats in this world than you humans understand. Not everything can be seen or heard. And not everything can be dealt with using the elements.” He shrugged, he would be the first to admit that weapons, like Lena’s twin laser guns that her falcon turned into, didn’t exactly fit the aesthetic of the ancient castle. It was why he preferred the bow to anything else. Elegant and powerful, he had hoped Jesse might be able to prove himself competent in this class.

He had obviously set his expectations too high though, because Jesse just stood in the middle of the gym and shrugged his shoulders. “I have no idea what I’m supposed to do. I can’t turn into a weapon.”

Professor Zaryanova put her hands on her hips, enormous muscles on show for the entire class, while her brown bear familiar sat easily behind her like a furry bodyguard. “Visualise, then execute. That’s all you need to do Mr McCree.”

But it was no use. Jesse was a waste of space as a familiar and Hanzo gave up rather than embarrass himself any further in front of the class. He sat on the sidelines of the gym as the other students practiced with their weapons.

Jesse wondered over to him after her grew bored of his conversations with the others. “You sulking there, partner?” he huffed as he lowered himself down next to Hanzo.

“No,” mumbled Hanzo into his knees as he watched Lucio singing happily to his frog familiar. Fareeha ran with her jackal, laughing when it bounded high into the air. Satya was the only other student on the sidelines of the gym. She ignored the yelling and laughter around her as she sat quietly with her gorgeous Siamese familiar.

“Look. I’m sorry I can’t live up to your amazing dreams of what kind of familiar I should be. But I am trying.” Jesse looked away from him. Hanzo thought he heard bitterness in the other boy’s voice.

_He’s probably just disappointed that he ended up with me as his witch,_ Hanzo thought _. He’s also stuck with a failure that can’t even perform a summoning ritual correctly._

“Why did you even answer the call?” Hanzo asked abruptly.

Jesse glanced at him and shrugged. “Uh… I just saw a strange white light, and kind of, walked into it.”

“You just saw light, and walked into it?” Hanzo said disbelievingly. “Are you an imbecile?”

“I have no idea what that word means, but I’m guessing it’s not very nice. And yes, I did walk into it.” Jesse paused before he muttered, “I was curious.”

Their conversation stalled after that and they sat in silence for the rest of class.

 

* * *

 

Each night was the same. After dinner, Hanzo would study in his room while Jesse sighed even louder than he did during classes. He complained endlessly and it made Hanzo grind his teeth.

“Can you please study in the common room?” asked Jesse on Thursday night. “There isn’t any technology in this place and I don’t understand the language that half of the books are written in.”

“It’s English. And no, I won’t study in the common room.”

“Why not? Please, there are people there,” Jesse said desperately, as though people had become a precious commodity in his life.

Hanzo slapped his book closed and turned to face his familiar as he lazed on top of Hanzo’s bed. “That is precisely _why_ I won’t study in the common room,” he said through gritted teeth. He flared his nostrils at the homework on his desk. “It’s not worth it,” he muttered to the book.

Hanzo didn’t know whether Jesse had heard him, but thankfully the boy didn’t push the matter any further that night. It took a solid ten minutes of staring at his blank homework before Hanzo gave up and went to bed early.

Perhaps Friday would be better.

 

* * *

 

 

Friday was worse. In every way possible.

Hanzo’s shitty week seemed to culminate in a single disastrous event on Friday afternoon during broomstick navigation. It was one of his favourite classes. When he flew above the world, everything would drop away and he could forget his brother, his grades, his responsibilities. There was nothing but the wind in his hair and the cold breeze on his face.

Not today though. Because as soon Jesse saw the broomsticks he shook his head, almost dislodging the large cowboy hat atop it.

“Nu-uh. No way is this happening. Not in a million years.”

Hanzo hung his head, because now, on top of everything else, “you’re scared of flying?”

Jesse stared up at the rest of the class, already in the air, with quiet terror on his face. “When it’s flying with just a bundle of sticks below you? Hell yeah, I’m scared.”

Hanzo shook his head slightly at the other boy, a little confused. “I’m the one on the stick. You just have to fly next to me.” He said it slowly, because this was basic stuff. All familiars could fly.

Jesse stared at him for a few seconds before crossing his arms. “Look, I know you expect a lot from me, but I. Can’t. Fly. I couldn’t fly a week ago, and I definitely can’t fly now.”

“Of course you can fly!” boomed out the German accent of their flight instructor. Professor Reinhardt was a strange choice for this class; the broomstick looked like a twig beneath him, but he flew it gracefully once he was in the air.

Jesse faced the teacher, reiterating again, “I can’t fly.”

Hanzo had had enough. “Yes. You can.” He said as he hopped onto his broomstick, making it hover beneath him.

Jesse stared at him, rising panic in his eyes as he put up his hands in a placating gesture. “Don’t do this Hanzo, you’ll just hurt yourself,” said Jesse urgently, motioning at the invisible chain that connected them.

That did it. Hanzo kicked off from the ground building up speed, ready to drag Jesse with him whether he liked it or not.

Too bad Hanzo didn’t listen, because it _really_ hurt when Jesse let out a strangled yell from beneath him, and he was torn bodily of the broomstick by the chain connected to his heart.

Hanzo had a moment of weightlessness. He stared at the open sky as it dropped away from him.

Then he slammed, back first, into the earth. All of his breath left his lungs at once and Hanzo tried to gasp for a moment, his throat unable to let any air back in. The back of his head felt like it was on fire and he could hear Jesse coughing hard behind him as he struggled to breathe. Finally, after what seemed like a century, his lungs allowed him a single breath. The relief was short lived because he joined Jesse in his own coughing fit, his bruised back in agony as his lungs tried to recover from the shock. Hanzo stared up at the students flying above him. In the distance, he swore he could see Genji and the others roaring with laughter.

A shadow fell over his face and Hanzo painfully blinked up into Jesse’s concerned eyes. Jesse was clutching the back of his head with one hand and his own chest with the other, as though he couldn’t breathe either.

Hanzo groaned and shut his eyes. This was the last thing he needed.

Suddenly, sound rushed back into Hanzo’s ears and he heard a chorus of concerned voices and a number of quiet snickers. Over the top of them, Angela’s normally soft voice was commanding people to move out of the way.

“What happened? Is Hanzo hurt?” her voice was closer now.

Hanzo refused to be coddled by the class’s first aide student. He bolted upright. Carelessly, he had forgotten to open his eyes first, and yelled in pain when he smacked his head straight into Jesse’s. Both boys clutched their heads as they saw stars. Then Hanzo felt a stab of pain at the back of his head. He lifted his fingers to feel the wound in his hairline, and found that it was in decidedly worse shape than the front, when they came away coated in blood. Hanzo looked down at them for a moment before taking a deep breath.

“I think I’m going to vomit,’ he said matter-of-factly. There was a collective gasp from the class before everyone, except for Angela and Jesse, scrambled away.

Angela began barking orders, her dove familiar fluttering around her head, as Hanzo leaned over and threw up most of his lunch. The rest of the afternoon passed in a whirl as Angela and Fareeha escorted them both to the med bay where Professor Amari waited for them.

She looked at the boys with the most un-impressed expression in the world. Then she narrowed her eye at Hanzo. “I expected better of you Mr Shimada,” she said as she inspected their wounds. “You not only hurt yourself, but your familiar as well.”

That made Hanzo frown up at her. He looked over at Jesse then, and finally noticed that the other boy was gingerly rubbing the back of his own head, dark curls matted with blood.

“That’s right. Your familiar shares your pain Mr Shimada. It also goes the other way, but a damaged familiar isn’t going to hurt the witch as much as a damaged witch hurts the familiar.”

“Oh,” was all Hanzo managed as he felt a sinking feeling in the pit of his now-empty stomach. Another day, another disappointment Hanzo Shimada managed to be.

“You both have concussion so you will be staying here for the next couple of hours. Angela has kindly volunteered to monitor you, as I have an advanced potions class to run and don’t have the time or patience to be dealing with irresponsible children.” Professor Amari shook her head and muttered to herself as she concocted a potion from various ingredients. Then she forced both boys to drink the disgusting cocktail, smiling sweetly at them as they sputtered at the taste.

Before the Professor left she gave strict instructions for Angela to keep them both awake. Jesse also listened closely, concern clouding his eyes whenever he looked over at Hanzo sitting on the bed. When they were alone, Jesse sauntered over and sat next to Hanzo. Angela had retreated a little to give them some privacy, but Hanzo could see her looking curiously at the pair of them.

“Sorry I can’t fly,” Jesse muttered, actually sounding genuinely sorry.

Hanzo turned away from him. “I don’t want to talk about it.” But Hanzo felt the guilt gnawing at his stomach, he looked down at his hands as they sat curled in his lap. “Sorry I hurt you,” he said after a few seconds. “It was unreasonable of me to expect you to be able to fly when you said you couldn’t.”

The pause from Jesse was longer, but then Hanzo felt an arm creep over his other shoulder and pull him in close. He went rigid at the touch, and Jesse quickly pulled away the arm again. But he had a smile in his voice as he said conspiratorially in Hanzo’s ear, “it’s ok, I forgive you. You know what was really funny though?”

“Besides me falling off a broomstick?” Hanzo looked up at Jesse and found the other boy’s face startlingly close. Jesse’s eyes sparkled as he grinned at Hanzo.

“Well, I mean, that was pretty fucking funny. But when you got yanked back to the ground, your broomstick kept flying upwards and was about to hit Genji. He had to swerve to avoid it and almost crashed into two of his friends. You were pretty close to taking out half the class with your little stunt.”

Hanzo groaned and dropped his head into his hands. Which was a mistake, because the sudden movement caused pain to lance from the back of his head to the front. Jesse felt it too because he clutched his own head.

“Sorry,” Hanzo muttered again.

Jesse just laughed in response before leaning over to nudge Hanzo with his elbow. “Remind me to make sure you don’t do anything stupid again. Because this was one hundred percent not worth it.”

 

After a couple of hours their heads were fine. Hanzo decided that he never wanted to feel the sensation of his own skin knitting back together again. He shivered, it was weird. Unfortunately, by the time they left the med-bay, dinner was over and all of the food was gone. Jesse complained about this fact endlessly as they trudged back to Hanzo’s room, tired and hungry. When they got to the common room door Hanzo paused and found himself unable to push it open. Jesse hovered for a second as he peered at him, then the door, then Hanzo again.

“You sure you’re ok?”

Hanzo wasn’t ok. The common room was always busy on Friday nights. Everyone was high on anticipation for the weekend. But he had to set an example for his familiar. He had to be strong. So he pushed open the door.

A hush descended over the loud room as every student simultaneously turned and looked at the two late entrances. Hanzo began to cross the warm, fire-lit room. He set his eyes determinedly on the door that led to the dorms, refusing to look at anyone.

Then the laughing started. It began as a snicker from someone in one of the corners -- Hanzo had a pretty good idea who -- and then spread like wildfire throughout the room.

Then they started clapping. And cheering. The whole class applauding the two injured boys. Hanzo wanted to do nothing more than run from the room. Meanwhile, Jesse ate up the attention and began waving and finger-gunning various people.

“Thank you, thank you. I am here all month!” he shouted at the rest of the class before Hanzo dragged him from the room.

“Awww, c’mon,” Jesse pouted at him in the quiet corridor. “They loved us in there. Let’s go back and socialise for a bit. I still haven’t met everyone.”

“Can we, just, not please?” sighed Hanzo. He could think of nothing worse right now than sitting amongst his laughing classmates.

Jesse sighed loudly and sulked at him as they entered Hanzo’s room. “Fine. Another early night for the infamous socialite pair, Witch and Cowboy. You should really let me hang out with some people one night.” He suddenly turned to Hanzo and eagerly said, “Oh, it’s the weekend tomorrow, how about then?”

Hanzo just looked at him, and Jesse’s face fell.

“Don’t tell me you just study on the weekends as well?” he groaned. Hanzo’s face must have said it all because Jesse threw up his hands in frustration. “How did I get stuck with the biggest nerd in the entire school?”

Hanzo shrugged, it wasn’t _entirely_ Hanzo’s fault that Jesse was here. Then he sighed, he supposed he probably should let him out a bit more. “You just have bad luck.” _Like me._ After this horrible week Hanzo was convinced that he was cursed with it.

“Yeah, probably,” Jesse said as he settled onto his blankets. “I’ve always had shitty luck. ‘Spose it was just a matter of time before some witch opened a portal and literally summoned me halfway across the world. How can you be such a nerd but at the same time suck at magic?”

Hanzo snorted, “You didn’t have to answer the call you know.”

He expected a sarcastic answer, but Jesse was silent. Hanzo tried to peer at the other boy through the dark room, maybe he was already asleep?

Hanzo put it out of his mind. Perhaps the weekend would be better.

 

* * *

 

The weekend was better. By a huge margin. It was lunchtime when Hanzo finally dragged Jesse out of bed and down to breakfast. Lunch. Brunch?

The other boy dressed in the clothes he came through the portal with, not looking _too_ out of place amongst the other plain-clothed students, but still far too much like a cowboy for Hanzo’s tastes. Jesse raised his eyebrows sceptically at Hanzo’s own sloppy clothes.

“What?” Hanzo asked, feeling self-conscious as he looked down at his sweater and baggy jeans.

“You would look good in skinny jeans. You should get some.”

Hanzo frowned at his familiar. “I haven’t been clothes shopping in a while...” He barely left the compound when he was at home, and the rest of the year he was at school. He didn’t have to impress anyone with his fashion choices.

“Yeah… it shows.”

Hanzo crossed his arms and looked at Jesse’s own getup. “I hardly think you are in a position to judge. I bet every single shirt you own is some variation of flannel.”

Jesse took a bite of his toast and said through it, “well, you’re not wrong. But at least I _know_ a thing or two about fashion.”

Their conversation was cut off by the arrival of Amélie, Widowmaker adorning her head like a terrifying black crown.

“Good afternoon,” she said rather darkly, as if she wished they would have anything but. Then she turned her dead eyes to Hanzo. He leaned back, suddenly terrified. “Why weren’t you at practice yesterday?”

“Uh… I…” Hanzo didn’t want to admit to the broomstick debacle, but Amélie leaned in so close their noses almost touched. It was terrifying. Hanzo dropped his eyes in defeat, “I fell off my broomstick. And we both got concussion…”

Amélie was silent, so Hanzo looked back up and saw that she was struggling to keep her lips under control as they twitched upwards. When Hanzo pouted at her, unimpressed, she outright _smiled_.

“Oh, I know what happened,” she said as Hanzo groaned and put his head in his hands. “I just wanted to hear it from your mouth so that you would also know just how stupid it sounds.”

“Yeah, he thought that somehow the rest of the school wasn’t going to find out about it,” said Jesse.

Amélie just shook her head, ponytail bobbing from side to side. “From the moment class ended, the entire school knew. There is no escaping Genji’s gossip mouth.” She leaned back into Hanzo’s personal space again, suddenly serious. She poked one of her slender fingers into his chest, punctuating her words. “But if you ever, _ever_ , miss practice again for such a stupid reason. I’ll come for you. It won’t be pretty. It won’t be nice. I’ll drag you there in pieces if I have to.” Then she smiled mirthlessly. “Anyway, sorry to be brief, I’m off to the library. See you boys at dinner.” And with that she stalked off again.

Hanzo let out a huge sigh of relief once she was gone.

“You have terrifying friends,” said Jesse, pointing his toast at Hanzo.

Hanzo shook his head. “We’re not _friends_. She’s just the club president.”

Jesse looked confused and he squinted at Hanzo for a second as if there was something that Hanzo didn’t understand. When Hanzo motioned ‘what?’, Jesse just shrugged and changed the subject. “So. What are we going to do today?”

“You didn’t sound very enthusiastic about studying last night.”

Jesse made a face. “Please god, anything but that.”

“So what do you want to do?” Hanzo sighed, resigning himself to a crappy weekend.

Jesse thought for a moment, tapping yet another piece of toast against his chin. Then he shoved it in his mouth and, while spraying crumbs everywhere, said, “I want a tour of the castle. Just the two of us.”

Hanzo raised his eyebrows as if to ask, _and who else would want come with us anyway?_

“Point taken,” said Jesse with a grin. “Shall we?”

So Hanzo spent the afternoon wondering around the castle with Jesse. He had read about the history of the castle in one of their textbooks and tried to tell Jesse the most interesting bits. Or at least the bits he thought Jesse would find interesting.

Hanzo found it amusing to see Jesse’s eyes light up whenever he described deaths or unfortunate incidences that had happened over the years in the ancient castle.

This stretch of corridor was where Agnes the Prophet had experienced her first vision of the future. She had prophesised that she would put milk in her tea on the next Tuesday of the month, and what do you know, it came true.

The South Courtyard is where three hundred witch hunters were slaughtered for their crimes.

Bagrad the Mad jumped out of this North Wing window with what he thought was a broomstick, but was instead a cat. The cat was fine; Bagrad, not so much.

Hanzo also told the stories of many of the morbid tapestries that hung in the hallways. The whole tour took so long that they only made it out of the castle at dusk. The grounds were enormous though, and curfew would prevent them from going much further tonight. It didn’t stop Jesse when he spotted the stables though.

“There’s horses?”

“Yeah…”

“Can you ride?” asked Jesse.

Hanzo just rolled his eyes. “Of course I can ride a horse. Can you?”

“Hell yes I can,” said Jesse. “Clear your schedule tomorrow. We’re going horse riding.”

Hanzo sighed. “You do realise that I have to do my homework at some point, right?”

Jesse waved Hanzo’s comment away, “homework, schmomework. Who cares about that stuff?”

“Me.”

“Fine. If we go horse riding in the morning, then I promise to be quiet in the afternoon so you can study. Deal?”

Hanzo knew he didn’t have to say yes. Jesse was _his_ familiar after all, and it also felt like he was fast losing control of this strange relationship.

But he did like riding.

“Deal. But you need to sit still in the library and let me work.”

“I’ll even _help_ you with your homework,” Jesse answered with a grin.

“Thank you for the offer,” Hanzo said wryly, “but I’m going to have to hard pass on that. You do not even understand the fundamentals of magic.”

Jesse nodded sagely, “that I don’t. That I don’t. C’mon, let’s get dinner, I’m starving. All that walking was hungry work.”

 

* * *

 

Riding on the Sunday morning was, for lack of a better word, fun. Hanzo didn’t think the human boy was going to be any good, but they both turned out to be excellent riders. This was probably for the best as they both had to be hyper-aware of each other at all times lest one of them be yanked out of the saddle by the unfortunate chain. It was exhausting work, and by the time they had both had enough they were starving.

As they ate lunch Jesse grumbled loudly about having to go to the library for an entire afternoon, while Hanzo steadfastly ignored him. He really had to get Professor Reyes’ Dark Arts homework completed. No one skipped Reyes’s homework, even Genji did it and he flunked every single other class.

The two boys found a secluded empty table surrounded by the massive stacks of books in the old, silent library and sat opposite each other. Jesse broke his side of the deal immediately by loudly asking questions about the homework. Well, until Librarian Sombra smacked him over the head with a massive tome telling him to be quiet and read it if he was interested in knowledge.

To Hanzo’s surprise, Jesse actually did start reading the leather-bound book. It wasn’t until the dinner bell rang that Hanzo realised he had lost track of time. Jesse blinked up at him from across the table, just as startled as he was that they had managed to wile away an entire afternoon studying. He also asked Hanzo to borrow out the book he had been reading. Hanzo turned it over in his hands and read the silver-embossed title on the spine: _A Treatise on Familiars_. He raised his eyebrows at Jesse, but didn’t say anything. Maybe this meant Jesse was trying to take his job seriously? Hanzo didn’t think he should hope for much, but he could feel a tiny bit of pride blossom in his chest at the thought of having an actually useful familiar.

Hanzo put it down to that foolish feeling as to why he said yes when Jesse asked to hang out in the common room for a couple of hours that night.

The other boy’s eyes lit up at the idea of getting to spend his evening with people other than Hanzo. _That_ made his mood sour fast, and the only reason he didn’t go back on his word was because the common room was quiet on Sunday evenings. Everyone would madly work on the homework they had ignored for the entirety of the weekend.

Well, they worked on it until Jesse entered the room and immediately started a game of cards with Fareeha and Angela as they sat by the fire. Their familiars, a massive jackal and beautiful white dove, watched the game progress with curiosity.

Angela had a huge bag of gummy bears that she had been sharing with Fareeha as they studied and the three decided to play for them. Jesse had nothing to begin the bet with so Angela took pity on him and gave him just one of the bears to get him started. Big mistake. Jesse took them for all they had. Hanzo had planned on reading his history text for one of Tuesday’s classes, but it sat forgotton in his lap as he watched the game progress. He didn’t realise he was staring until Jesse looked up at him and flashed a grin his way. That was when Hanzo glimpsed his slight-of-hand, a card disappearing up one of his rolled-down sleeves.

Unbelievable.

Jesse raised his eyebrows at Hanzo, _want to play?_

Hanzo flicked his eyes at Jesse’s sleeve and deadpanned him. _Not in a million years you dirty cheater_.

Jesse laughed, a deep satisfying sound that rolled around the room, and turned back to his game. He had an enormous pile of gummy bears in front of him and it wasn’t long before Fareeha, then Angela, bowed out of the game. Jesse gathered up his gummy bears and came over to where Hanzo sat on the floor with his back against one of the couches. He dumped the bears on the open book in Hanzo’s lap and then dumped himself next to Hanzo, jostling his shoulder as Jesse got comfortable.

“Got you a present,” said Jesse as he grinned at Hanzo.

Hanzo shook his head at his familiar as he put one of the gummy bears in his mouth. “You are a rotten scoundrel Jesse McCree.”

Jesse laughed and nudged Hanzo’s side with his elbow, “you don’t see me arguing.” Then he leaned in close to Hanzo’s ear and whispered sultrily, “I like it when you call me a rotten scoundrel.”

Hanzo almost choked on the gummy bear, while Jesse howled with laughter. Once Hanzo had finished coughing he pushed Jesse’s head away from his own, causing the other boy to overbalance and fall onto the floor where he continued to giggle like a child. Hanzo got up, cradling the book full of gummy bears, and looked down at his stupid familiar.

But he couldn’t stop the smile from creeping onto his face.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> :) Hope you still like it!
> 
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> 
> If you have any questions let me know :)


	3. Week Two Blues

 

The week began with a mid-October cold snap that had the entire castle shivering. Hanzo’s little room grew chilly at night as the loose window let in a draught that whistled around the room. Hanzo was beginning to feel a little guilty at making Jesse sleep on the floor, but the other boy hadn’t complained about the arrangement so Hanzo had put it out of his mind.

Jesse, for better or for worse, had made this week far more enjoyable than the last. He had started to take an interest in some of Hanzo’s classes. He even quietly requested some of Hanzo’s paper to make notes with in Reyes’s Dark Arts class. Neither of them could participate much in Zaryanova’s class, but Hanzo didn’t mind so much this week.

Jesse would just talk to him instead.

Hanzo thought that in the last two weeks he had probably said more words than in the entirety of his last schooling year. Jesse was also painfully curious. Most of his questions were about magic and familiars, which Hanzo was more than happy to answer, but any time Jesse strayed too close to asking about home or Genji, he would be met with a stony silence. Hanzo didn’t particularly want to share that depressing side of his life with anyone else. Especially not someone that would disappear in another couple of weeks. But the personal questions seemed to go both ways. Jesse didn’t say anything about his parents or what his life at home was like. He had mentioned vaguely that he hadn’t been to school in over a year which made Hanzo suspect that he no longer lived at home.

That comment had made Hanzo curious. What had Jesse been doing if he wasn’t at school? But he hadn’t pried any further, choosing instead to respect Jesse’s privacy, even if he was Hanzo’s familiar. He probably shouldn’t even be talking to him this much, let alone sharing anything from their personal lives. But talking to Jesse was relaxing, it almost made him feel warm. And yet, the small fact that he would be gone again soon also hung over their conversations. It left Hanzo feeling tangled, pulled different ways. He found himself sighing in frustration an awful lot.

He should have seen the warning signs when Jesse developed a runny nose and a worrying chesty cough on Thursday. Should have asked whether he was ok. Instead, Hanzo just told him they could take it easy and Jesse had given him a tiny smile in turn, his face looking pale and sickly.

Hanzo awoke on Friday morning to find that Jesse had a high fever and was unable to move from his little pallet of blankets on the floor. Jesse blinked up at him blearily, his eyes devoid of their usual deviant sparkle, and mouthed ‘water’.

Hanzo almost panicked then and there.

He had done this to Jesse, he thought, horrified at himself. He had let him sleep on the floor for weeks and now—

He couldn’t move more than three metres from Jesse. He couldn’t get him water. He couldn’t help him without hurting him.

Hanzo looked from the uncomfortable pallet on the floor to his own bed and made up his mind. Jesse had begun to shiver despite his high fever and Hanzo knew he had to keep him warm or it would get worse. He managed to rouse Jesse for long enough to drag him up onto his own bed. He used the extra blankets to tuck him in. The other boy was so weak he could barely move.

Hanzo watched his familiar shiver despite the extra blankets. He didn’t want to admit it, but he was frightened. He just stood there, feeling his stomach rise to his throat, feeling sick with himself. _He_ had let this happen. He hadn’t taken care of Jesse.

Hanzo glanced at the door. He estimated that he could get just far enough to peer into the corridor without the chain hurting them both. Because the last thing he found himself wanting to do was hurt Jesse any more than he already had.

He edged the door open and peeked out into the hallway. Empty. Hanzo waited, hoping to see someone, anyone, who might be able to help him.

He was beginning to get desperate, Jesse’s breathing sounded laboured in the background, when finally, a door opened.

And Lena came out of her room, a huge yawn taking up her small face.

Not good.

And definitely not his first choice, seeing as she hung out with his brother. Hanzo was about to close his door quietly when Jesse coughed behind him. He squeezed his eyes shut for a second, _this isn’t about you_ , he told himself. This was for Jesse’s sake. Besides, he hadn’t exactly spoken to Lena before.

“Lena,” he called out softly, but his voice was barely a croak. He cleared his throat and tried again. “Lena.”

She looked up, startled, and frowned at him. Her frown slowly dissolved as she took his panicked state in and was replaced by concern. “Hanzo?” she said, walking closer. “Are you ok?”

“I… it’s Jesse. He’s sick.” Hanzo’s voice broke on the last word and Lena walked up to him and looked into his face. Then she smiled and patted him on the shoulder, her flacon bobbing its head as it surveyed him with sharp eyes.

“What can I do to help?”

Her offer was so quick and easy-going, as if she helped people every day, that Hanzo stared at her dumbly for a second. “He… I … He needs water. I can’t leave the room.” _I can’t help him_ , was what Hanzo really wanted to say, but the words caught in his throat. He was so _useless._

“No worries, love. I’ll be right back. I’ll see if I can’t find Lúcio too. He might be able to help more than I can. He’s training in the healing arts.” Lena peeked through the door at Jesse and grimaced. “Though, someone is yet to find a cure for the flu.”

Before Hanzo could say anything else, Lena zipped off, running down the hallway and disappearing around the corner. Hanzo walked over the bed and put a hand on Jesse’s forehead. He was burning up, his breathing was uneven, and he had begun to sweat despite the shivers that still wracked his body. Hanzo cursed his own stupidity.

It wasn’t long before Lena returned, a worried looking Lúcio trailing in her wake, his frog familiar perched atop his bundled dreadlocks. To Hanzo’s despair, an amused-looking Genji brought up the rear of their little party.

Genji stopped in the doorway and looked down at Jesse in the bed and then at Hanzo’s worried face.

“What have you done now, o-brother-of-mine?” he sighed at Hanzo.

“Please, just go away Genji. You are not helping,” said Hanzo, refusing to rise to the bait. He knew very well that this was all his fault.

Surprisingly, Genji shrugged his shoulders at his two friends as they gathered around Jesse. “See you two at breakfast then,” he said with a slight wave as he left the room.

Lena had brought a small bucket of water and a washcloth, which Hanzo was thankful for. After they roused Jesse enough to make him drink a cup of water, Hanzo used the cloth to dab the sweat from his familiar’s brow.

Lúcio hummed as he flicked through a thin tome of what looked like hand-written spells. Hanzo was sceptical until Lúcio found the one he was looking for and began to sing. His familiar joined in and almost immediately Hanzo felt more relaxed. Jesse began to breathe easier too, his breath finally deepening into the evenness of sleep, the shivers slowly came to a stop. All three of them looked gratefully at each other.

“Thank you,” said Hanzo quietly, “I appreciate it.”

“No worries, man,” said Lúcio in a cheerful voice. “Always willing to help a bro out.”

“Is there anything else we can do before class?” asked Lena. “I’ll let the professors know that you can’t come.”

“I… there is one thing,” said Hanzo. Lena looked at him expectantly, smile on her face. “Do you know Amélie Lacroix?”

Lena’s eyes bugged out a little and she scratched her eye in what looked like an attempt at being casual. “I know _of_ her.”

“Can you please tell her that Jesse is sick and I can’t make it to practice tonight?” Amélie was going to _murder_ him. He prayed that she might take pity on him if he grovelled.

“No problem. I can totally do that for you.” Lena nodded her head so fast it almost dislodged her familiar. The falcon gave a quiet indignant squawk as he ruffled his feathers.

Hanzo tried and failed to smile at them both. But Lena and Lúcio didn’t seem to mind. Lúcio clapped him on the back as they left. “We’ll check up on him after class,” he said before quietly shutting the door.

And then Hanzo was alone with Jesse. He pulled out one of his textbooks hoping to study a little. His stomach rumbled and he wished he had asked Lena to bring him some food for breakfast. But then he shook his head, that was probably going too far. They had already helped him so much.

Hanzo stared at the textbook for a solid twenty minutes before he realised that he had read the first line over two-hundred times. He snapped the book shut, wanting to hurl the tome across the room in frustration. But he didn’t. He couldn’t wake Jesse.

Then he noticed that the other boy had started to shiver again. Hanzo gathered up the rest of the blankets from the floor and piled them over Jesse, but his familiar only seemed to shiver harder. Worry gnawed at Hanzo’s stomach. It felt like it was eating him from the inside out.

_This is as a last resort_ , he told himself as he peeled back the covers and climbed into bed with Jesse, hoping that his own body could help warm him up. Hanzo crossed his arms under the covers feeling Jesse’s burning fever seep into him wherever their skin touched. And while he lay there, eventually the shivers came to a stop. Jesse finally relaxing and breathing deeply once again.

Hanzo breathed his own sigh of relief, feeling exhausted. It was bad judgement on his part when he fell asleep like that.

 

“Well, isn’t this the cutest thing I have ever seen.” The silky smooth voice came from above him and Hanzo’s eyes flew open. Amélie’s carefully arranged disgusted expression looked down at him. Her lips twitched upwards as Hanzo felt the blood rush to his face as he leapt out of the bed.

“I… we… he was cold, ok?” Hanzo stammered before clicking his teeth shut to stop his mouth from embarrassing him further. Amélie was outright grinning now and it took Hanzo a little while to realise she was holding a tray of steaming food.

His stomach grumbled loudly as the smell of hot soup and fresh bread wafted around the room.

Amélie snorted at the sound and held the tray out to him. “I heard from Lena that you couldn’t come to practice. Then I remembered that if your familiar was here, you probably weren’t able to come down to the hall for food.”

Hanzo looked down at the tray and felt a pang in his chest. Why were people being so nice to him?

“Thank you,” he said as he took the tray from Amélie. She had brought up two bowls of soup, and for that Hanzo was grateful. He gently woke Jesse and fed him the soup. Hanzo dipped the bread into it to make it easier for Jesse to eat. Jesse himself looked completely out of it. He kept blinking and squinting into Hanzo’s face as he accepted each spoon of hot pumpkin soup being fed to him.

“S’thank you,” he murmured before settling down in the bed again and falling asleep immediately.

Amélie raised her eyebrows at Hanzo as he sat on the floor, his back against the bed, feeling better the closer he was to Jesse. Hanzo raised his own eyebrows at Amélie as she sat next to him.

“Don’t you have class?” he asked in between mouthfuls of soup and bread. It was so good.

“Oui,” said Amélie.

“Are you going to go to class?”

“Non,” she said with a wicked grin. “It is only advanced potions with Amari anyway. She has hated me since first year so I’m always ok with skipping out on that class.”

Hanzo snorted, “why does she hate you?”

Amélie coughed lightly into her hand, as if she were embarrassed. “Funny story. The first potion I ever made blew up in Amari’s face and accidentally poisoned her. I put the professor in the med bay for a week.”

“That is not very funny.”

Amélie waved the comment away. “Well, I mean, she’s fine _now_. And things are always more amusing in hindsight.” She nudged him with her elbow. Hanzo wondered why so many people felt the need to do that to him lately. “Kind of like you falling off your broomstick and giving you and your familiar concussion.”

Hanzo groaned, “don’t remind me.”

But Amélie just laughed and got up to retrieve Jesse’s playing cards from his desk. She pulled them out of the pack and began to shuffle them. They played cards for the rest of the afternoon, talking quietly about various things, but mostly about club practice and their weapons. Hanzo had always loved the shooting club, it was completely relaxing for him to get lost in the hunt, looking down his arrow and sighting the targets on the range. It also helped that the club only had three members, including himself and Amélie. Well, four now, if they added Jesse to the roster.

When the dinner bell rang Amélie left with a promise that she would rope some of his classmates into bringing him some food. Some people have clubs to run, she reminded him. She ruffled his long hair, messing up the ponytail he had it tied into, before leaving the room. Hanzo grumbled to himself as he combed out the long strands and prepared to put it up again.

“Your hair looks good when it’s out,” came a croaky voice from above him.

Hanzo leapt up to find Jesse awake, a weak smile tugging at the corners of the other boy’s lips. “I need to pee,” he said and reached a hand out to Hanzo.

Hanzo managed to pull him out of bed, asking whether he was strong enough to have a shower too. Jesse nodded and said he would probably feel better after one anyway. The fever was still running high, but it might help.

They stumbled down the hallway to the bathrooms, Hanzo supporting Jesse the whole way. He waited while Jesse had a shower and got dressed in pyjamas, then escorted him back to his room, making him sit up in bed when he started to cough again.

“Did I hear that you shoot?” Jesse asked weakly.

Hanzo was confused for a second before he remembered his conversation with Amélie. “Yeah, I’ll have to show you sometime,” Hanzo said with a grimace. If Jesse even _wanted_ to spend time with him after this.

Jesse’s eyes drooped closed and he mumbled, “I’d like that,” before drifting off to sleep again.

Hanzo sat on the bed with his legs crossed beneath him. He began to read one of his textbooks, better able to concentrate now that he knew Jesse would probably be ok. The fever still had to break, but at least he had been able to get up and say a couple of words.

“Hey,” came a quiet voice at the doorway. Hanzo looked up from his textbook to find Lena standing there uncertainly with a dinner tray in her hands. She offered it to him. “Amélie asked whether I could take you up some dinner. I was more than happy to.”

“Thank you,” murmured Hanzo, taking the tray from her.

“Sorry I didn’t bring you up breakfast, I wasn’t thinking when I left for class.”

Hanzo just shook his head. He wanted to tell her that she had already done more than enough. He hadn’t expected any of this. The kindness of others. That his classmates cared.

Therefore, he was completely taken aback when nearly all of them visited his little room bringing various offerings and asking after Jesse’s and his health. Jesse slept through all of it which meant that Hanzo had to do all the talking. It wasn’t as bad as he thought it was going to be. And they left smiling. Hanzo wasn’t prepared for how warm it made him feel.

As the night went on and it got late, Hanzo made up the little bed on the floor, groaning at how uncomfortable it was. He couldn’t believe himself. He had been a total selfish asshole. Had treated Jesse like dirt. Had hurt him.

“Hey,” the voice from the bed was feeble.

Hanzo sat up. “What is it? Do you need water? Food?”

“No… um… I’m cold. And I don’t think you should sleep on the floor, you might catch a fever.”

Hanzo wished he could punch himself in the face without hurting Jesse. “There isn’t enough room,” he tried as an excuse. He didn’t want to invade Jesse’s space, having already done enough to hurt the other boy. He didn’t want Jesse to lose sleep over him too.

There was the sound of shuffling in the bed. “Sure there is. C’mon Hanzo. I’ll feel better if you’re warm too.”

Hanzo took a deep breath to argue, thought better of it, and let it out in a shaky sigh as he moved over to the bed. Jesse had squished himself up to the wall so that there was a reasonable amount of space for Hanzo to lie in. As he pulled the covers over himself and settled in next to Jesse, Hanzo felt a light flutter in his stomach. It was so warm where their skin touched that Hanzo was now afraid that Jesse might get too hot if they shared the space. But the other boy just sighed and began to breath evenly again, fast asleep.

Hanzo lay wide awake. His eyes refused to shut and the light flutter had worked itself up to a quiet storm. He was hyper-aware of his sleeping familiar next to him. Hanzo glanced over at Jesse’s face, just visible in the pale half-moonlight from the window. It was peaceful, his lips were just parted and his long-lashed eyes looked so beautiful –

Hanzo caught himself thinking all this and immediately looked away, back up to the ceiling, eyes wide. _No, no, no, no, no, no, no,_ he thought _, this cannot be happening._

But it was.

The butterflies refused to die and Hanzo couldn’t stop thinking about the sleeping boy next to him. Or stop thinking about the warmth that slowly crept out from his heart and into his chest. Made him feel contented. Almost… whole.

 

* * *

 

 

The fever broke at lunchtime on Saturday. After bringing them both breakfast, Angela and Fareeha had spent the morning playing cards with Hanzo. They were decidedly better than him, and managed to win back all of the gummy bears that he and Jesse hadn’t eaten.

Angela had been checking up on Jesse regularly and had happily announced the news much to Hanzo’s relief. She promised to bring them both some lunch before telling Jesse to sleep for the rest of the afternoon.

Hanzo was prepared to spend it studying if nobody else came by, but he was interrupted by a soft greeting at his door. When he looked over he was surprised to see Satya there. She was the other quiet recluse of their class and almost talked to people less than he did. Her beautiful Siamese familiar wound its way through her legs and then over to Hanzo, bumping its head against his ankle in greeting.

“He likes you,” said Satya, her deep voice shimmering through the room. “I brought some spiced tea for you both. It was my mother’s recipe.”

Hanzo invited her in and gratefully accepted the tea. Jesse was still sleeping so they covered his cup up to keep it warm. The tea was delicious and Hanzo sighed in appreciation as they drank it together and watched Satya’s familiar play with the various clothes strewn all over the room. Now Hanzo looked at it, he was appalled at how messy it had gotten. He would have to clean it this afternoon.

“Thank you for the tea,” Hanzo murmured, still unsure of how to react to the kindness he had been receiving all weekend.

Satya’s eyes flicked to his face as she sipped her tea. “You are welcome.”

They sat in silence for a moment before Hanzo finally worked up the courage to ask the question that had been dogging him since Lena had first offered to help. “Why are you doing this?” he asked, wincing a little at how rude it sounded.

Satya’s familiar stopped his playing for a moment and looked at Hanzo with eyes so disdainful the cat could be Professor Reyes for all Hanzo knew.

Satya smiled down at her tea, amused at a joke he obviously didn’t get. “Because it is the right thing to do,” she said eventually.

Hanzo frowned. “Is it?”

He swore he saw Satya’s cat roll his eyes. Then the familiar slinked over to them both and made himself at home in Hanzo’s lap. Hanzo didn’t know what to do when the cat closed his eyes and appeared to go to sleep. When he looked up, Satya had her hand over her mouth hiding an obvious grin that reached all the way to her eyes. Well, it looked like Hanzo was trapped now, doomed to a fate decided by a cat.

“When someone needs help, you help them,” she said, simple as that.

Hanzo digested that for a moment. “It is hard to ask,” he said quietly.

Satya considered him, frowning a little. “It is not a weak thing, to ask for help. But I do agree. It is hard.” She sighed then, and Hanzo saw her familiar’s ear flick in response. “Perhaps it is why I had such difficulty summoning a familiar as well,” she said quietly.

Hanzo narrowed his eyes at her, suddenly remembering that he wasn’t the only one who hadn’t summoned a familiar by the end of the last school year. He had been so full of his own misery that he had not seen there were others who struggled. Hanzo put a hand over his face, ashamed at himself. Why was he so blind?

“When did you summon him?” Hanzo asked. He hesitantly scratched behind the cat’s ears and smiled a little when her familiar leaned into the touch and began to purr.

Satya looked down at her tea, eyes distant. “I do not return home over the break…” she took a deep breath then, as if scared to share this. Then she looked up and straight into Hanzo’s guilty eyes. “I could not stand another day of being alone. So I asked for help.”

The cat in his lap lazily opened an eye and _winked_ at him. Hanzo frowned down at the cat as he went back to purring.

He was startled for a second by a soft giggle that escaped from Satya’s mouth before she covered it quickly with her hand. “He likes you,” she said again.

Hanzo pouted at the cat before letting his lips twitch up in a smile. “So it would seem.”

“What is it like, having a human as a familiar?” Satya asked.

Hanzo opened his mouth to reply, and found that he had no idea what to say. He tilted his head, thinking hard about what it _was_ like. Because he suddenly realised that over the last week he had thought of Jesse less and less as a familiar and more as… “It’s like having a friend. One that I can talk to. Or rather, one that never shuts up.”

Satya smiled at him, “he does talk a lot, doesn’t he?”

Hanzo rolled his eyes, “probably something to do with being American.” Then a thought struck him, “it’s not like having a _real_ familiar though. He never completed the contract, and he will disappear in two weeks. But I think he is trying, and I… I have to do better. I have not treated him well.”

Satya’s eyes wondered over to the boy sleeping in the bed above them. She considered him for a moment before turning back to Hanzo as she gracefully got to her feet in one fluid movement. Hanzo was still trapped on the floor with her familiar in his lap.

“I am glad to hear you will treat him well,” she said as she gazed down at him. “I would be… surprised though, if he left. I think he likes it here.”

Hanzo frowned at her. Jesse wouldn’t want to stay with him. Definitely not after how Hanzo had treated him for the past two weeks. Besides, Jesse had a life to get back to. One without Hanzo in it.

Suddenly Satya’s familiar bounded out of his lap, shaking himself off as he wound his way through his witch’s legs.

“Thank you for the company this afternoon,” said Satya as she walked to the door.

“Thank you for the tea,” said Hanzo, a little taken aback at the sudden departure.

Satya paused at the door, her familiar sitting by her feet, staring back at Hanzo with big blue eyes. “You are most welcome,” she said before swiftly walking out.

Hanzo swore he saw the cat wink at him again as he slinked through the door, tail high in the air.

 

* * *

 

That night, as Hanzo lay wide awake next to Jesse once again, the butterflies were even worse.

“You awake?” came a whisper from beside him.

Hanzo turned to see Jesse’s face startlingly close on the shared pillow. They just stared at each other for a bit before Hanzo whispered, “yes.”

He felt Jesse smile as the other boy looked away up to the ceiling.

“Why did you call out to me that night?” he asked the ceiling.

Hanzo frowned at the unexpected question. And also at the fact that he suddenly had no idea what his answer was. He didn’t want to say that he had prayed to the gods for literally anything to show up... because, he found it wasn’t entirely true. His conversation with Satya played in his mind as he struggled to gather his thoughts.

“I…” he started, then stopped. He took a deep breath. “A familiar is a companion. They help their witch throughout their life, share their magic, protect them and in turn are looked after and cared for.” Hanzo paused, thinking about how he had neglected his side of the contract. Then he finally gave in and said the words that he knew were true. “I think I was lonely. I think I called out to whoever was listening to help me… And you answered.” Hanzo marvelled a little at that fact, felt the warmth in his chest again. “Why?”

Jesse was silent. As it stretched out Hanzo was afraid that Jesse had fallen asleep again without answering.

“When the portal opened I was about to have my brains blown out,” he said abruptly. “Me and two other guys were in the middle of a job that went to shit from the moment it started. Juan got himself shot almost immediately. Sean pushed me out of the way,” Jesse swallowed. “He told me to run. So I did. I ran and ran. But the guys chasing me were faster. And then they caught me, held me down, stuck a gun to my head.

“Then your fucking portal opened up out of nowhere and blinded everyone except me. And… I heard you. Calling out. Your voice was sad, just really… sad. And I felt you reaching out, asking for help, so I kind of decided to answer.”

Jesse turned to Hanzo, his eyes intense as he stared right at him from across the tiny space. “You saved my life Hanzo. Thank you.”

“Um… you’re welcome,” murmured Hanzo. He hadn’t exactly expected _that_. “You were in a gang? Is that why you left home?”

Jesse slumped back into the pillow. “Yeah, pretty much. Home wasn’t… a good place. I never knew my dad, he walked out before the Crisis began. And after the Crisis, well, Mom wasn’t the same. She managed to get me through it safe and sound, same couldn’t be said for my sister. Or the rest of her family. Life was hard on her. And I felt like a burden.” Jesse’s voice broke and he turned to face the wall. “So I left. Deadlock took me in, gave me a place.” Jesse shrugged awkwardly. “It was dangerous, but for once in my life I felt useful. Like I belonged.”

Hanzo was silent. He hadn’t seen much of the destruction that the Crisis had left on the world. His family had been sheltered from it in their compound. He had barely been aware of the world turning outside of it while he grew up.

“I don’t think my parents have every really loved me or my brother.” Immediately Hanzo wanted to stuff the words back into his stupid mouth. But it was too late and now the gates were open, the rest came pouring out like a flood. “From a young age I was trained to take over the family coven. My mother is the most powerful witch our family has seen for decades. I think I first disappointed her by being male. Then I couldn’t even summon a familiar. As the eldest I am expected to take over when my mother dies. But nobody asked whether I wanted to. They just expect me to. And that is fine, I have accepted that it is my duty. But then Genji shirks what little responsibility he has been given because he doesn’t carry the same weight I do. He is allowed to be who he wants to be. I will be nothing but a disappointment.” Bitterness laced his voice and burnt his tongue. It wasn’t fair.

“I don’t think you’re a disappointment,” said Jesse.

He sounded so earnest that Hanzo had to laugh. It was a twisted and pitiful thing, filled with shame.

“I have done nothing but disappoint you. I gave you a concussion, forced you to sit through all of my boring homework, then made you sleep on the floor for long enough that you caught a fever. I am not fit to be your witch.”

“But then you took care of me,” said Jesse. “Ain’t nobody done that in a long time.” Jesse hesitantly reached an arm over and slowly pulled Hanzo close, into his embrace.

Hanzo went rigid at the touch, but as the warmth from his chest rose to his face he melted into it. It was nice to hug someone. The butterflies in his stomach fluttered about as he realised his face was less than an inch from Jesse’s.

“Thank you,” whispered Jesse as he finally let Hanzo go.

Hanzo didn’t know what to say, so he didn’t say anything.

 

* * *

 

Jesse was strong enough to walk down to lunch on Sunday and as they did, all of their classmates greeted them. Not just Jesse, but Hanzo too. Hanzo frowned at them, it was strange to be noticed by people.

Neither of them brought up the previous night’s discussion, though there seemed to be an unspoken agreement that neither of them would be sleeping on the floor from now on. The rest of the day passed in a blur as Hanzo made Jesse go back to bed and attempted to do all of the homework he had neglected.

As they walked back from dinner Jesse asked to go to one of the tower roofs. “I really need some fresh air,” he said as he combed his hair back from his face.

“But it’s cold, there is a chill in the wind,” said Hanzo worryingly, “I don’t want you to get sick again.”

“So give me a jacket?” Jesse laughed. “I’ll take one of the blankets up there too, just to make you happy. There’s something I want to try.”

So Hanzo found himself standing in the freezing wind atop the North Tower, with a bundled up Jesse beside him. His familiar breathed in deeply as the wind ruffled his hair into a tangled halo around his face. Hanzo thought he looked wild, rugged. Like an untamed stallion. He felt his face flame red as Jesse opened his eyes and caught him staring.

But if the cowboy noticed it he didn’t say anything. Jesse held Hanzo’s gaze, staring at him just as intently. He seemed to be concentrating on something. Jesse held out a hand angled at Hanzo, as if he were trying to weave a spell.

Then he felt it. The warmth in his heart all of a sudden rushed out of him. Golden light poured into Jesse’s hand coalescing tighter and tighter, until it eventually took a solid form. A revolver.

A weapon.

Jesse hadn’t become one, he had called his own. Hanzo’s eyes went wide as Jesse whooped with joy, punching the air before he doubled over coughing, the fever not quite gone yet.

“You did it,” Hanzo marvelled. They both looked at the impressive weapon in Jesse’s hands. “Can you shoot it?” Hanzo asked. _He_ certainly hadn’t shot a gun before. He had hoped that Jesse would become a bow, but this was probably the next best thing.

“Hell yeah I can. You are looking at one of the best sharp shooters around.”

Hanzo grinned at him, on a high from finally having a semi-competent familiar. “I’ll have to take you to the range to validate that claim. Bet you can’t beat me.”

“Oh honey, it is on,” said Jesse, wolfish grin dominating his face.

Hanzo’s eyes bugged out at the pet name. He started shaking his head as he stepped back from Jesse. “Never call me ‘honey’ again.”

“Watcha gonna do about it, _honey_?” said Jesse, pushing his luck. A shit-stirrer at his finest.

Hanzo flicked his eyes to the edge of the tower, “do you think you will survive the drop?”

Jesse snorted and looked right at him. “Pretty sure if I go over, I’m taking you straight to hell with me. You can’t get rid of me that easy.”

Hanzo held his extremely serious gaze for a second before bursting into laughter. He held his stomach as Jesse looked at him, as startled at his reaction as he was. “’I’m taking you straight to hell with me,’” Hanzo quoted back at Jesse. “Did you just step out of a movie? That was the lamest thing I have ever heard.”

“I wish I’d stepped out of a movie,” said Jesse.

“Which one would you be from?”

“The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly for sure,” he said with no hesitation.

Hanzo rolled his eyes, “I should have guessed. Which one are you?”

Jesse looked offended, “is it not obvious? I’m the good. Eastwood all the way.”

Hanzo frowned, “if I recall, he wasn’t that much of a good person in the movie. All he wanted was the buried treasure.”

“Yeah, but he had a personal code of justice. And like, he was better than the other two. Look, I won’t have you sully Eastwood’s name with your unenlightened opinion.”

Hanzo rolled his eyes again and changed the subject. “Can I hold your gun?”

Jesse snorted and wiggled his eyebrows suggestively, “you can hold my gun any day.”

Hanzo’s face went slack. “Please, no.”

Jesse grinned as he held the gun out to Hanzo, but just as Hanzo’s hand touched the weapon, it dissolved into golden light again and rushed back into his chest. He could almost feel the magic settling back into his blood.

Jesse stared at his empty hands. “Aw, looks like you can only look, but not touch the goods, darlin’.”

Hanzo put his face into his hands, “please stop.”

He felt an elbow in his side and as Jesse laughed and said, “never. You’re stuck with me.”

And Hanzo’s smile dropped. “Not for much longer,” he muttered as he turned away from Jesse to the dark empty sky.

“Oh, yeah. I guess,” said Jesse. Then he grabbed one of Hanzo’s arms and pulled him back to the doorway leading into the castle. “I’ll just have to make the most of my time here then. C’mon, let’s get back inside. You were right, it is freezing out here.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> :)
> 
> Hang out with me on [Twitter](https://twitter.com/Jakallx) and [tumblr](http://jakallx.tumblr.com/)


	4. Flying High

Monday began with rain that continued throughout the week until Friday, when the sun decided to show itself to the world again. One last hoorah before Winter months truly set in.

Classes were almost fun for Hanzo at this point. The two boys would sit up the back of the classroom and pass notes to each other. Jesse constantly whispered little comments that made Hanzo snicker, one particular occasion almost getting them both landed in detention by Reyes. The rest of the class greeted him in the mornings, and Genji hadn’t spoken to him in almost a week. Hanzo felt almost… happy?

Gym class was the standout as Hanzo and Jesse practiced the weapon summoning. The whole class gathered around them, marvelling at the revolver in Jesse’s hands. Hanzo thought that now he would have to bring his bow to class since Jesse was not going to be _his_ weapon. He felt a little thrill as he thought about them practicing shooting together.

In no time at all it was Friday and they were back at broomstick training. Professor Reinhardt told the class to practice flying in formation, and had then given them an air navigation exercise.

For the last twenty minutes Hanzo had been trying to get Jesse to agree to fly tandem with him.

“Come on, Jesse. It’ll be fun,” said Hanzo holding out the broomstick with what he hoped was an encouraging look on his face.

“Nu-uh, no way. Being on a twig high in the air with no safety net or seatbelts does not look fun.” Jesse crossed his arms as he stood his ground.

“What about thrilling then?” Hanzo tried.

“If you get a thrill out of potentially dying then you have serious problems.”

“Educational?” He was really scraping the bottom of the barrel now.

“How is riding a broomstick educational? Dangerous, yes. Suicidal, yes. Educational? No.”

“Please Jesse? I swear I won’t let you fall off. C’mon, do it for me?” Hanzo tried his best to look at Jesse with pleading eyes. He had found that he had picked up a number of the cowboy’s inflections over the past few weeks. And that he was apparently not above grovelling to get what he wanted.

Jesse looked at him for a long while. Then he shook his head as though he had just realised that he had been staring. He took a deep breath, held it, then let it out in a huff, defeated. “Fine. _Fine._ But the puppy-dog eyes were an unfair advantage. Your argument was shit.”

Hanzo made a mental note to store away the ‘puppy-dog eyes’ expression. He grimaced a little at its name, but he was sure it would come in useful later. For now, he grinned at Jesse and began to tell him about the basics of flying.

“Make sure you relax. Don’t try to push the broomstick. I’ll be the one navigating and steering. All you have to do is sit on the back.”

Jesse looked doubtfully at the broomstick in Hanzo’s hands. “Yeah, about that. How do you even sit on that thing without it hurting… you know… everything?”

“I’ve always found it more comfortable to sit side-saddle.”

“Doesn’t that just make it easier to fall off?”

Hanzo shrugged. “Probably.” Jesse grimaced and Hanzo mentally kicked himself. “But don’t worry,” he said quickly, “I will take care of you. You won’t fall.” And with that he made the broomstick hover in the air and sat halfway down it. He beckoned Jesse over and motioned to where he should sit.

“What do I even hold on to? This is barely more than a stick. Why don’t they make these things branch-sized?” Jesse was babbling now.

“You hold onto me. And they don’t make them branch-sized because that would look stupid.” Though… Hanzo tapped his chin with a finger. There probably would be a market for branch-sized broomsticks. They would be far more comfortable for long-distance travel.

All thoughts of a lucrative business idea left his head though when Jesse wrapped his arms around Hanzo’s waist and held on tight. Hanzo almost felt guilty for making him do this. _Almost_.

Then he kicked off from the ground, feeling the rush of adrenaline as the wind whipped his hair out of his face and they flew up into the sky. It was a beautiful day, a little chilly, but Hanzo barely felt it as Jesse pressed closer. The other boy was yelling loudly, cursing in two languages, and had his face mushed into Hanzo’s back.

Hanzo laughed as he levelled the broomstick out, as high as the East Tower. The grounds stretched out from the castle, surrounded by forest covered mountains on three sides with a massive lake bordering the fourth. The castle itself was a mismatched set of stone towers from different centuries. It had been cobbled together by various witches over the years and was now the primary place of education for witches all over the world.

“You should open your eyes,” said Hanzo over the wind, “the view is incredible.”

Jesse must have cracked open an eye because all of a sudden he was holding onto Hanzo even tighter. He could feel Jesse’s nose pressed into the back of his uniform.

“Oh hell no!” Jesse yelled. “This is the worst. I can’t believe I let you do this. This is insane. You are insane. This stupid school is insane.” He went on, but Hanzo stopped listening, electing instead to make the broomstick drift slowly back to the ground. He felt a little bad that Jesse didn’t enjoy flying as much as he did, but as they passed the ruins of the West Tower and Jesse clung on tight, he let himself enjoy the feeling of the other boy holding onto him.

When they made it back to the ground Hanzo unclasped Jesse’s hands from around his waist, perhaps holding them for a little _too_ long, before telling Jesse that they were on the ground.

“Not a moment too soon,” said Jesse as he backed away from the broomstick. “That ain’t happening again if I have a say about it.”

“Technically as my familiar, you do not have a say about it.”

“Oh?” said Jesse crossing his arms and frowning at Hanzo, “you would _force_ me to ride that deathstick if it came to it.”

Hanzo bit his lip and stepped up close to his familiar. As he looked into Jesse’s face he slowly shook his head. “No. I won’t force you to do anything you don’t want to. Thank you for letting me fly today though. It was fun.”

Jesse stared at him for a moment before reaching out a hand and tucking a stray hair, blown out of place by the careless wind, behind Hanzo’s ear. Hanzo’s eyes widened and Jesse’s face slowly turned bright red as he realised what he’d done. He looked away as he muttered, “s’ok. It wasn’t so bad since you were there.”

“So we can make broomstick flying a regular thing?” asked Hanzo, forgetting for a moment that Jesse would disappear in another week.

“Hell. No. Do not push your luck, witch.”

 

* * *

 

After dinner Hanzo told Jesse to dress in whatever clothes he was comfortable to shoot in and then led him down to the practice range. The range was located underground; the enormous cavern was soundproofed and probably the most modern room in the entire castle.

Amélie waved at them as they came through the door. Their supervisor, Professor Torbjorn, didn’t even look up from his office table behind a set of soundproofed glass. Amélie turned back to her target and aimed down the scope of her elegant rifle. Her shots cracked down the range, echoing one after the other. Hanzo didn’t doubt that every single one was a headshot. Amélie’s skill in marksmanship was unparalleled. Well, besides Hanzo himself.

Jesse took one look at her before leaning into Hanzo and saying, “remind me to never piss her off again.”

Hana was also there this evening. She lazed on one of the benches that lined the back of the room, chewing pink bubblegum and taking apart her little handgun. She polished each of the bright-pink parts before assembling it again.

Hanzo led Jesse over to her and introduced them.

“Sup?” she said without looking up. The Korean girl was two years younger than Hanzo and one of the most popular kids in the entire school. He was honestly surprised that she had joined the club, Amélie and himself weren’t exactly the liveliest people to be around, but she didn’t seem to mind when they practiced together.

“Hey,” said Jesse, eyeing the gun in her hands. “So is that, like, the weapon your familiar becomes?” He leaned close to Hanzo and whispered, “seems pretty small. Guess it suits her though.”

Hana looked up at Jesse, maintaining eye contact as she blew a bubble with her gum. Just as it popped, a white rabbit bounded out from behind her and twitched its ears at Jesse.

“I don’t think you want to see what her familiar becomes,” said Hanzo as Hana locked the last piece of her handgun into place and raised her eyebrows at Jesse.

“You challenging me, cowboy?” she asked.

Jesse put his hands on his hips. “I could take you any day.”

“Prepare to die, noob.”

 “Oh it is on.” He held out a hand to Hanzo calling his weapon through their bond, the golden light filling his hands until it became the elegant revolver.

Hanzo squinted at it. It had a spur. The gun had a spur.

How had he managed to get stuck with the lamest familiar on the planet?

Jesse walked with Hana over to the range, both of them trading insults that became more vulgar the closer the got to the targets. Hanzo stayed back a little and used the opportunity to take his bow and quiver out of its casing and prepare himself to begin practice.

Amélie finished up her clip and her rifle reverted into Widowmaker, the massive spider crawling atop her head as she walked over to Hanzo. She was about to say something when the sound of Jesse and Hana’s competition began, shot after shot ringing out, too loud for any reasonable conversation to occur. As Hanzo watched, his eyebrows slowly got higher and higher until they were in danger of disappearing into his hairline as Jesse sunk shot after shot into the head of the target he was aiming at.

Maybe he _wasn’t_ such a disaster of a familiar. It wouldn’t be bad to have him around at all.

Hanzo shook his head, trying to dislodge that particular train. No, Jesse would be gone in another week. And there wasn’t anything Hanzo could do about it.

“So,” said Amélie quietly as Hana reloaded for the next round. Jesse chatted to Hana while she did, his easy grin softening his face and making Hana grin back at him.

“You kissed Jesse yet?”

Hanzo’s head snapped up to Amélie, a tiny smile playing on her lips. “I… uh… what?” Hanzo stuttered, completely taken aback by the question, composure utterly shattered.

“Hanzo. Babe. It is obvious that you are into him. Everyone has seen the way you look at him. Half the school is taking bets on who is going to kiss who first. The smart money is on Jesse.”

Hanzo’s mouth hung open like a startled fish. “I’m into him? …Wait, what do you mean the school’s taking bets? Why?” He stared at her as his brain attempted to regain some semblance of control over his thoughts. “Have you kissed Lena yet?” he countered, hoping his wild guess that they had been spending time together would distract her from his slowly reddening face.

To her credit, Amélie didn’t even blink at the comment. In fact, if anything, she looked smug. “As a matter of fact, we have a date this Sunday. But you are deflecting and you know it. Have you kissed him or not?”

Hanzo didn’t see how any of this was her business, but he stupidly decided to hiss at her, “no. And we won’t. He’s going to disappear in a week anyway. I won’t ever see him again.”

“Merde. I really thought you had it in you.” Amélie paused and almost looked a little sad. “Well, if he’s going to disappear, that is all the more reason to kiss him.”

Hanzo narrowed his eyes at her, “don’t tell me you were in on the betting too?”

Amélie at least had the grace to look a little embarrassed then.

He pointed at her accusingly. “Who were you betting on?”

She reached over and patted him on the shoulder, “Hanzo. Cheri. I was rooting for you the whole time. You better not make me lose to Lena. That little twerp managed to make me go all in.”

Hanzo closed his eyes, mortified. So now his entire class was in on this. Oh god, that probably meant Genji was too. He had probably started it, the little shit.

He was saved from any further speculation by shots ringing out once again, Hana and Jesse’s competition resuming. He grumbled to himself as he stretched before ignoring Amélie completely and stepping up to the range.

Then he lost himself in the hunt. His breath coming slow and steady as he shot arrow after arrow into the head of the target dummies that were set up at the far end of the range. He had found that shooting was the purest form of meditation. He always felt better when he had an arrow knocked to his bowstring. The power in his muscles and the joy of the draw and release were what had made him love shooting in the first place. He shot arrow after arrow until his quiver was empty.

He had a few seconds of quiet to himself as he breathed hard, assessing his aim. There was a low whistle from behind him.

“Damn,” said Jesse. “You’re pretty handy with that bow.”

Hanzo couldn’t help but feel a glow of pride in his chest at Jesse’s words. “You are not half-bad yourself,” he paid back as he motioned at the revolver in Jesse’s hand.

“Half-bad? Did you see my shots? I could probably shoot a single hair off your pretty head without messing up that ponytail you got there.”

Hanzo laughed, leaning back against one of the range supports. Then he spotted Amélie and Hana smirking at them both from behind Jesse’s back. They saw him looking and gave him a thumbs-up.

Hanzo’s smile melted right off his face.

Jesse turned around to see what he was looking at, but Amélie and Hana thankfully pretended to be having an animated conversation. Jesse looked back at Hanzo with a question in his eyes, but Hanzo shrugged and began to walk down the range to collect his arrows, forcing Jesse to follow him.

The rest of the night continued like that. Whenever Jesse said something that made him laugh or smile, Amélie or Hana would be close by, giving him encouraging looks and wiggling their eyebrows up and down. It completely addled his train of thought. By the end of the night he was so thrown off his game he missed three shots in a row and had to give up. When Jesse’s back was turned he made an extremely rude gesture at Amélie causing her to snort out loud.

“What was that there at the end?” Jesse asked, shaking his head as they walked back to Hanzo’s room. “My grandma can shoot better than that and she’s dead.”

Hanzo punched Jesse’s shoulder, “I was distracted. I’m normally far better.”

Jesse bumped him back, leaning into him with his own shoulder. “Distracted by what?”

 _You,_ Hanzo thought. He cleared his throat, stepping away from the contact and muttered something about being tired.

“Guess it’s an early night then. You know what? I’m pretty beat too. Who knew school could be so exhausting?”

“Anyone who’s ever actually tried it?”

Jesse looked offended before ruining it by grinning. “You caught me. I’m a big ol’ dropout. It helps my badboy aesthetic.”

“I thought you were going for the cowboy aesthetic,” said Hanzo motioning to the hat that sat more-or-less permanently on Jesse’s head, as if it was his own familiar.

Jesse shrugged while holding out both his hands, “why can’t I have both?”

Hanzo shook his head, “you are such a loser.”

Jesse pouted, “hey, cowboys are cool. Admit it, you like me.”

Hanzo felt his face flame red and was thankful that they were walking through the dark hallways. Jesse slowly became aware of what he had said because his own face got darker and he tugged his hat over his eyes. “As a friend, obviously. Totally just friends. Friends,” Jesse said one more time for good measure.

 _Smooth_ , thought Hanzo sarcastically. He wracked his brain for any way to get out of this awkward situation.

“Race you back?” he challenged abruptly.

Jesse seemed to be in the same boat because he looked up in relief, then determination and said, “you are on. Prepare—

But Hanzo was already off, pulling just far enough ahead that the chain wouldn’t become visible, before Jesse caught up, yelling protests of a false start. The cowboy managed to keep up with him the whole way. He even pulled ahead a couple of times before dropping back and complaining that Hanzo had an advantage because of his skinny ankles. Hanzo had no idea how that gave him an advantage, but in the end it didn’t really matter.

That night he went to sleep smiling and contented with Jesse beside him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hanzo has it baaaaaaddddd.
> 
> Amelie is either the best or worst wingman ever. She also 100% started the betting.
> 
> Hang out with me on [Twitter](https://twitter.com/Jakallx) and [tumblr](http://jakallx.tumblr.com/) :) I draw bad pictures and occasionally post them.
> 
> Also, I wanted to thank everyone for their wonderful comments so far :) Makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside.
> 
> Next 2 chapters will be up together because reasons... which will be evident once you read them.


	5. Falling Fast

The weekend passed quickly.

Hanzo was snowed under with a number of assignments and the professors had wizened up to Jesse’s antics in class. They no longer let him get away with doing nothing. Reyes had even taken a liking to him and had actually set him a large amount of homework and a specific research assignment to complete. At least it meant Jesse was actively taking an interest in his education. He had dragged Hanzo around half of the library trying to find the right books to study from.

So the exhausted pair lazed before the common room fire on Sunday evening playing cards. Hanzo lost spectacularly nearly every single round. Jesse swore he wasn’t cheating and Hanzo was so tired that he couldn’t be bothered to keep an eye out for his antics.

He also couldn’t stop thinking that this would be his last full weekend together with Jesse. He hated to admit it to himself, but he was struggling with the fact that Jesse would be leaving soon. Returning to his own life. The butterflies in his stomach now competed with a strange melancholy, almost an ache. He felt twisted up inside. It made him wonder whether Jesse felt the same way. Whether he might actually want to stay.

But he didn’t ask. He didn’t want to be selfish anymore. All of these thoughts swirled around his mind, made him moody and unable to concentrate on the game.

It was unfortunate then, that Genji chose this moment to loudly enter the common room, Lena and Lucio also with him, all three laughing at something Lucio had said. Genji spotted the pair over at the fireplace and peeled off from his group to make a beeline for them. He sat down between them and, ignoring Hanzo completely, turned to Jesse.

“So Jesse, are you coming to my Halloween party next Saturday?” he said smoothly.

Jesse’s eyes lit up, “you’re having a party?”

“Yep, in the West Tower. Nearly everyone will be there, but you can’t tell any of the teachers. It’s a secret.”

Jesse raised his eyebrows in a way that seemed to say, _no shit_. Hanzo smirked. Genji saw the look and was about to say something when Lucio piped up from across the room.

“I’m going to be DJing, so you know the playlist is gonna be dope.” He flashed a radiant smile at them.

“Well, hell yeah I’m in. Sounds like fun,” said Jesse enthusiastically. Then he caught the now sour look on Hanzo’s face and frowned. “Hanzo’s invited too, right?” he asked Genji.

Genji’s face fell as he looked at his brother for the first time. “Urgh, I had forgotten you couldn’t go anywhere without this wet blanket.” Genji sighed loudly exclaiming, “well, I suppose if he _has_ to come, he can.”

Jesse frowned at Genji. “Hey man, no need to be a dick about it.”

Genji’s eyebrows rocketed up as he considered them both. “What? Hanzo is the lamest, most boring person on the planet. And he’s going to make my party lame. I’m so sorry you got stuck with him for four weeks.”

Jesse narrowed his eyes, any trace of his good nature suddenly erased. “Back-off man. That was uncalled for.”

Hanzo suddenly stood up, wanting nothing more than to be gone from the room. Jesse’s eyes flicked up at Hanzo’s movement, but returned back to Genji. The tension in the air was palpable.

Then Genji was on his feet, Jesse following. The boys stood chest to chest, Jesse towering over Genji.

Genji just smirked up into Jesse’s face. “What’s this? You’re defending my brother?”

“Of course I’m defending him you green-haired bastard.”

Genji brushed off the insult with a wide smile, he bared his teeth like a dragon cornering his prey. Hanzo tugged on Jesse’s sleeve muttering that they should leave. Jesse shook him off though, getting further into Genji’s face. By now the entire common room was deathly quiet and watching the confrontation.

“Why? He’s nothing but a kiss-ass and when he’s not a kiss-ass he’s an asshole. Unless,” and Genji paused for a second, tapping a finger against his chin as though thinking. “Don’t tell me you _like_ him? Maybe even, _loooove him?_ Eww.”

Jesse’s face got visibly darker and he looked ready to throw a punch. Hanzo wanted to escape. Run. Leave. His own face burned as he grabbed Jesse’s arm this time, ignoring Jesse as he tried to shake him off again. Then he dragged Jesse from the room to the sound of catcalls and whoops of laughter.

When they got to Hanzo’s room, Hanzo let go of him and turned away, unable to look at Jesse’s face.

But Jesse wasn’t having a bar of it. “What the hell Hanzo? You just going to take that shit?” He walked up to Hanzo and shook his shoulder, turning him so that they faced each other.

Shame burned at Hanzo’s face, wound its way painfully into the pit of his stomach. It let the fury there, normally curled tight and leashed, free. Hanzo looked up at Jesse’s face, his nostrils flared.

“I do not need _you_ to fight my battles,” he spat, his voice quiet because he didn’t trust it to go any louder.

“Don’t you? I didn’t see you leaping to defend yourself,” said Jesse through gritted teeth.

Hanzo rephrased. “I do not _want_ you to fight my battles. Leave me alone.”

But Jesse kept pushing. “Isn’t that what a familiar does? I thought that was part of my job. I am your weapon!”

Hanzo snapped, the shame and humiliation overwhelming him. “You are _not_ my familiar! You will _never_ be my familiar. You are simply a placeholder until I get a real one.” Because, of course, Jesse was leaving him. They didn’t even have another week together. Hanzo breathed hard as he realised it hurt. It hurt a lot. But Hanzo tried to concentrate on the fury in his chest rather than the ache in his heart.

Jesse took a step back from him, hurt and then anger clouding his face. “So that’s it. After everything. I’m not good enough for you.” Then he snapped forward, a cruel look on his face. “You do realise you are the one who is so shit at magic, he summoned an actual human being, right?”

“I wish I had never summoned you in the first place! You are nothing to me,” Hanzo hissed through his teeth.

The moment the words left his mouth he regretted them. But Hanzo said nothing more, letting them fester in the air instead. Perhaps this will make it easier, his mind distantly whispered, if Jesse hated him.

Jesse rocked back on his heels, stunned by the vehemence that laced Hanzo’s words. He shook his head laughing mirthlessly to himself. “At least I don’t try and compensate for my shitty life by projecting my problems onto everyone else around me. God dammit you are an asshole sometimes… No wonder half the school bullied you.”

Hanzo clenched his fists as his throat burned in shame.

Then he leapt at Jesse with a scream.

The other boy saw his fist coming and dove to the side, fast enough to avoid Hanzo’s first punch, but not the backhand into his ribs as Hanzo spun around. Jesse grunted in pain, Hanzo doing the same a split-second later as it flared in his side. Then Jesse grappled him and threw him to the ground, leaping on top of his chest. Before he could throw a punch though, Hanzo struck Jesse in the stomach, feeling it land as his own stomach burned in response. He bucked his legs, managing to flip Jesse over onto his back. Then he was looking down into Jesse’s face, ugly rage twisting his own as he rained punches onto the other boy.

_How dare you?_ Hanzo thought as blow after blow connected and Jesse tried to throw up his hands in defence. Hanzo felt every punch on his own face, his right cheek and eye screaming in protest.

Jesse managed to free one of his hands and snap his palm up into Hanzo’s solar plexus. Both boys choked—the breath knocked out of them—but Jesse recovered first, slamming Hanzo over and onto his back so he was on his chest again. Hanzo’s head hit the hard stone floor and for a second he saw stars. Jesse yelped in pain, clutching his own head for a moment.

Dimly, Hanzo heard the door to his room open and someone gasp, then yell for help. But he looked up into Jesse’s face, his teeth bared, as the other boy pulled back his arm, fist curled tight, ready to punch Hanzo square in the nose. Hanzo briefly noticed that Jesse’s eyes were wet, the rage in his face masking an awful lot of hurt. Then the fist came crashing down. Jesse must have curved it at the last second because it hit Hanzo in the cheek, his teeth cutting the inside of his mouth as his head cracked to the side from the force of the blow. Hanzo tasted blood as he screamed in pain. Jesse clutched his own mouth, right up until strong hands dragged him away, leaving Hanzo on the floor in agony.

He tried to sit up, but coughed on blood, which he then spat onto the floor.

Then he looked up and saw the class gathered around his doorway. Fareeha and Satya held onto Jesse while Angela anxiously looked at his wounds. The boy sagged in their arms, as though defeated, the fight and fire gone from his face as he looked at the floor. Lucio and Lena were in the back, eyes wide, both looking horrified. Then Hanzo spotted Genji, his brother lacked his smug expression. He looked stricken, almost scared, as Hanzo glared at him with as much hate as he could muster.

Then Angela turned towards him, approaching slowly. “Hanzo…” she said hesitantly.

And he couldn’t take it anymore. The shame reared its ugly head. “Get out,” he whispered.

Angela sounded terrified, “but your wounds…”

“GET OUT!” Hanzo leapt off the floor as the crowd backed out of the room as quickly as they could. Jesse’s eyes, full of anguish, were the last thing he saw before he slammed the heavy door in his familiar’s face. He felt the tears fall then, as he slid down the other side, clutching his knees to his chest. Everything hurt. His face, his stomach, his chest. Worst of all, he was ashamed of himself.

He had hit his own familiar. His friend. He let his head fall and squeezed his eyes shut.

He stayed like that, curled up on the cold floor, back pressed against the wooden door, for hours. He lost track of time, only looking up blearily when he heard a voice on the other side of the door.

“Hey,” said the voice, it sounded hesitant, but Hanzo knew it anywhere.

“What do _you_ want?” came Jesse’s mumbled reply. He must be sitting against the other side of the door.

“I just… I came to apologise,” said Genji. His voice was small, not at all how he talked to Hanzo.

“Oh yeah? Apologise away then.”

There was a brief silence, then, “can I sit down?” A brief shuffling followed and then Genji’s voice was a little louder. Hanzo felt like he should move away. He didn’t want to listen to this. But he didn’t have the energy. So he just sat there, arms around his knees for warmth.

“I’m sorry for what I said in the common room. It was uncalled for,” Genji mumbled.

“Yeah, it really was. I hope you realise that it made you look like a huge asshole.”

Genji sighed, “I know. I just… it’s difficult, ok?”

“What’s so difficult about not being a jerk?”

Genji was silent for a few seconds. “My mother has spoken to me twice in the last year,” he said abruptly. Hanzo frowned, that couldn’t be right. But Genji continued, “the first time was to tell me I was a disappointment. The second time was to tell me to be more like Hanzo.”

“That is no excuse for your behaviour and you know it.” Jesse sounded mad, but a little sympathy had crept into his voice.

“I know… I know, I swear. And I’m sorry. It just makes it easier, I guess. Hanzo doesn’t exactly treat me like an angel when we’re at home. So when we come here and board, and he barely speaks to people, it’s just easier to bear, knowing that I hold something above him. And I know that’s wrong, but I guess it just means… I’m jealous of him? I don’t know.”

“Jealous? Of what? I didn’t think you were one to want to carry on the family witching business or whatever it is you people do.”

“I don’t. Not really. But like, I never got a chance to try? I was treated like a failure since day one. Nobody expected me to lead the family so I never tried. I don’t know what they want from me. I don’t know what Hanzo expects I should be.”

“Maybe you should tell Hanzo this,” said Jesse quietly.

“He won’t listen to me. I think he hates me,” Genji sounded truly hurt as he muttered the last part. Hanzo looked at the cold stone floor. He couldn’t feel anything, he was numb.

“I don’t think he hates you. If anything, I think he’s probably jealous of _you_.”

Hanzo heard them shift against the door. “Really?” asked Genji. “Why would he be jealous of me?”

“Why don’t you just ask him? Talk to him like a civilised human. And I know, he can also be a dick sometimes but, just, don’t be a dick back, I guess.”

_Eloquent_ , thought Hanzo sarcastically despite the numbness.

“Just, try and talk to him. I’m sure he would listen,” Jesse finished.

“Ok… I’ll try.” There was a sound of someone getting to their feet. Then Genji murmured something too low for Hanzo to hear.

Jesse was silent for a second. “Yeah, I do, alright? What of it?” came his reply.

Genji just laughed, his elated twittering sounding like a sparrow’s call. “Nothing. Was just curious. Sorry again, about tonight. I hope you’re going to be ok.” He sounded a little worried for Jesse’s health. Hanzo wondered what his face looked like. He touched his own, wincing at the pain of his own doing on the entire right side. The inside of his cheek was shredded too—Jesse’s doing.

“Ow,” came a mutter from the other side of the door. Then Jesse sighed heavily. “I’ll be fine. I just said some things I shouldn’t have. You aren’t the only one who can be a dick.”

“I can bring you a blanket if you want?”

“S’ok. I’ll be fine out here. Probably deserve it anyway.”

Genji was silent for a moment. “Ok… just yell out if you need anything. Good night, Jesse.”

“Night Genji.”

Hanzo sat against the door, numbness slowly giving way to hurt. He had no idea that Genji could be like that, or that he felt that way. Though, Hanzo thought about it and realised that he hadn’t actually had a conversation that lasted more than two sentences with Genji for years.

That hurt a little too.

Eventually the floor became too cold for him to sit on and he got up, his hand on the doorknob, not wanting to face Jesse, but also needing to go to the bathroom. He leaned his forehead against the door.

There was a shuffling from the other side. Then Jesse called out softly, “Hanzo?”

Hanzo sighed into the wood. “What?”

“I need to pee.”

Hanzo opened the door to a tired-looking Jesse. They both winced at the same time when they saw each other’s faces. True to the pain, a massive purpling bruise ran up the right side of Jesse’s face, his eye was beginning to blacken as well. Hanzo touched his own and found the tender skin there.

Jesse opened his mouth to say something, but Hanzo pushed passed him before he could. He didn’t want to hear it. Didn’t want to apologise either.

That night, as they both slept as far away from each other as they could on the narrow bed, Hanzo told himself that it was because Jesse didn’t deserve an apology.

He knew it was a lie though. The real reason was that not apologising would just make it easier when Jesse disappeared.

Because Hanzo would be alone again.

And that hurt more than anything.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> :(
> 
> [Twitter](https://twitter.com/Jakallx) and [tumblr](http://jakallx.tumblr.com/)


	6. Final Days

Classes on Monday were awful. They both looked like they had been in a street fight and when Professor Reyes saw their faces he pulled them aside after class.

“What happened to you two?” he asked, concern lighting his eyes. A strange look for Reyes.

“Nothing. Sir,” said Jesse sullenly. Reyes had complimented him earlier on his homework and Jesse had turned to say something to Hanzo, but had closed his mouth when Hanzo had stared straight ahead.

Reyes turned to Hanzo. “Shimada?”

Hanzo flicked his eyes up to meet Reyes’s. “Nothing happened, sir.”

Reyes looked at both boys before sighing. “Unbelievable. Whatever it was, don’t let it affect your studies. It’s a pity you’ll be leaving us soon, Mr McCree. You are showing promise in the theoretical areas of the Dark Arts.”

Hanzo clenched his jaw at the words and Jesse sullenly turned away from them both. Reyes leaned back against his desk, arms crossed as he studied the two boys. He looked as though he wanted to say something else, but then thought better of it. “You are dismissed.”

As the boys left the room, Hanzo glanced back to find Reyes shrugging at his owl familiar, her head tilted as she looked at him questioningly.

 

* * *

 

The rest of the week was even worse.

Hanzo refused to speak to Jesse, ignoring him when he tried to start a conversation. The only time they did speak was to communicate to each other when they needed something, and even then, Hanzo was as curt and impolite as possible. It left Jesse looking more and more frustrated as the week wore on.

They continued to try and sleep uncomfortably apart in the narrow bed.

But Hanzo barely slept. He just lay awake all night. The butterflies had all turned to razors. The pain in his stomach ached and he stopped eating as a result. Jesse looked at him with concern at lunch on Friday afternoon. He opened his mouth as Hanzo pushed rice around his plate and tried to concentrate on some homework they had been given. But the words never came, and Jesse looked away shaking his head.

That night Hanzo found he didn’t want to go to club practice. He didn’t want to do anything.

The entire week he had endured the looks his classmates gave him as they chatted to Jesse. Some still tried to greet him, but he ignored them just as he ignored Jesse. Even Satya, who had frowned at him when he pointedly glared away.

He did feel guilty about that, but by the time he realised, she was already gone. Jesse had just looked at him, the disappointment written all over his face. Hanzo could have laughed. He had let down his familiar yet again.

But as he lay on the narrow bed, staring at the ceiling as Jesse got changed, he found that he was done. He didn’t want to look at anyone or anything ever again. It would just be easier if he could shut himself up in his room forever.

“Hey,” Jesse’s face appeared above his own. “Are you ok?”

Hanzo responded by turning on his side and facing the wall.

“Hanzo, c’mon. Are we going to club practice?”

Hanzo didn’t answer.

Jesse sighed in frustration. “Hanzo, _please_. You are killing me. I don’t want it to be this way. Please, talk to me.”

Hanzo squeezed his eyes shut, trying to ignore the pain in his chest as it ached at the sound of Jesse’s voice.

He heard Jesse take a step back and then the rustling of fabric and a mumbled, “ow.”

Hanzo curled up, bringing his knees to his chest. There he was, hurting Jesse yet again. He was despicable.

Then the bed sunk down as Jesse sat on it. Hanzo felt a hand softly brush his back and he went rigid at the touch. Then the hand hesitantly moved up and began to push Hanzo’s long hair out of his face. Jesse slowly stroked the long strands free of any tangles. Hanzo shivered into the feeling, every time the hand the hand stroked his head, his heart beat a little faster. The pain in his chest competed against the warmth that was starting to bloom there.

“What’s wrong, Hanzo?” Jesse asked quietly.

But Hanzo was silent, the warm feeling disappearing rapidly, being eaten by the ache of his words.

“Hanzo, please. It’s hurting me too,” Jesse’s voice broke as he leaned over, trying to see Hanzo’s face.

Hanzo’s eyes snapped open. “Fuck,” he whispered to the wall, feeling a burning in his eyes. He sat up but didn’t look at Jesse, “I’m sorry,” he mumbled to his legs, the pain building up in his chest, threatening to spill into his throat. “I can’t stop it.”

Jesse leaned in close. “Stop what? What’s hurting you?”

Hanzo finally looked up at Jesse, anguish in his eyes, embarrassed and ashamed he has to admit that it hurts this much. But, of course, Jesse could feel just as much pain as him.

“You’re leaving. It hurts.” Hanzo swallowed the lump in his throat heavily.

Jesse’s eyes went wide, he looked stricken. Then he rubbed his own chest. “It hurts that much? Really?”

Hanzo put his face into his knees as he nodded.

Then the bed moved and Hanzo felt Jesse’s arms envelop him in a warm embrace. “Hanzo, oh Hanzo. I’m so sorry.”

The hug hurt even more and all of a sudden Hanzo was holding Jesse too. Holding him so tightly it hurt his own arms. But he just needed to feel the other boy’s heartbeat, heard it when he pressed his ear against Jesse’s chest and finally let the tears fall.

Because it hurt. Jesse was leaving him.

Jesse hugged him tighter. “Hey, hey. It’s ok, Hanzo. I’m still here now. I swear.”

When Hanzo had finally let it all out, Jesse loosened his grip, pulling back so Hanzo could look up at him.

“You know what?” Jesse said as Hanzo wiped his eyes.

“What?” Hanzo mumbled.

“I’ll always be with you,” said Jesse pressing his hand to Hanzo’s chest, “in your heart.”

Hanzo looked down at Jesse’s hand, then up into his entirely serious face.

Then he snorted and burst out laughing. He howled as he fell backwards onto the bed clutching his stomach.

“What? What’s so funny?” Jesse protested.

Just as Hanzo thought he could get himself under control, he looked up at Jesse again and fell back into wild giggles. The pain was still there, but it had returned to a dull ache rather than the overwhelming hurt.

“C’mon, it wasn’t that bad was it?”

Hanzo looked at him incredulously. “Are you serious? Where are you from? A fucking Disney movie?”

Jesse looked offended, but also a little chagrined. “I’ll have you know that Beauty and the Beast is a timeless classic.”

Hanzo narrowed his eyes for a second, trying to figure out what _that_ meant. He shook his head instead. “That was the lamest thing I have ever heard in my life.”

Jesse looked at him seriously. “But I meant it.”

Hanzo groaned and fell backwards onto the bed, staring at the ceiling once again. He was embarrassed _for_ Jesse. “That makes it even worse.”

“I agree, that makes it so much worse,” a silky, amused voice chimed in from the door.

Hanzo bolted upright and saw Amélie standing there. He shut his eyes and felt like he wanted to die all over again.

“Oh my god. How long have you been standing there?” Jesse asked, horror in his eyes.

Amélie made a retching motion, “long enough to hear the cheesiest line in the history of the world. I cannot believe you just said that. Are you even real?” She squinted at him as though he was some kind of strange apparition.

Jesse crossed his arms and pouted at them both. “So what? It’s pick on Jesse day now? _I_ thought it was roman—nice! I thought it was _nice_.” Jesse shifted his eyes, as though he hoped they hadn’t noticed his slip-up.

Amélie shared a look with Hanzo, both of them unimpressed at Jesse’s pathetic attempt at a save.

“You really know how to pick them, don’t you?” Amélie said wryly.

Hanzo felt like it was a bit much to imply that he had picked Jesse. The other boy had accidentally fallen into his life, and now, he was going to fall right out of it again. Hanzo felt another pang in his chest.

Jesse slapped a hand to his own and looked at Hanzo with concern.

“Sorry,” said Hanzo, a little embarrassed that it still hurt so much.

Amélie just raised her eyebrows at them both. “ _Disgusting_. Anyway, why aren’t either of you at club practice? I know you just had a sappy moment, but I have a shooting club to run and it’s no…” she paused, searching for the right word. “ _Fun?_ If half of the members are missing.”

With that, Amélie turned on her heel and marched right back out of the door leaving Hanzo to scramble around the room for the right clothes to change into.

 

That night, Jesse pulled Hanzo close to him. They hugged each other in the narrow bed. It was nice, thought Hanzo, to sleep next to another person. He dreaded to think what it would be like when half of the bed would soon be empty.

 

* * *

 

 

Hanzo tried to apologise to as many people as he could at breakfast. He would say hello and then sorry for how he had treated them. Most were taken aback at first, but then would beam at him and clap him on the back, wanting to chat for a little longer.

It took a while, but eventually he found Satya as she was chatting to Mei-Ling from the year above them. He greeted Mei, nodding at her little penguin familiar sitting in her lap. Then turned to Satya and said how sorry he was for ignoring her. He tried to smile, hoping he hadn’t damaged their delicate friendship.

Satya accepted his explanation with hooded eyes and a neutral expression. It left Hanzo feeling a little worried until he felt something furry bump up against his ankles. Satya’s Siamese familiar wound his way around Hanzo’s legs once before bounding back into Satya’s lap. _Then_ she smiled up at Hanzo.

“He likes you,” she said simply. And she turned away from him back to her conversation with Mei.

So Hanzo walked, with Jesse at his side, back over to their breakfast table.

“Even after all this,” Jesse muttered once they had sat down. He was looking at Hanzo’s plate, “you still like dry toast.”

Hanzo was about to reply when he saw Genji marching towards him and Jesse. He was alone, but that didn’t mean much in Hanzo’s eyes. So he turned back to his toast, hoping his brother would ignore them.

Genji had other ideas. He cleared his throat as he stopped before Hanzo. Hanzo mentally prepared himself.

“Hey Hanzo… and Jesse,” Genji started a little hesitantly. Then he looked right into his brother’s eyes with fierce determination in his gaze. “I… wanted…” Genji swallowed, then said in a rush, “I wanted to apologise for what I said last weekend. I was an asshole and I’m sorry.”

Hanzo’s eyes went so wide he thought they would fall out of his head. Before he could say anything Genji went on, “I was also wondering whether you,” he glanced at Jesse then, “and Jesse, want to come to my Halloween party tonight?”

Hanzo stared at his brother. “What?”

Genji pointed at Hanzo. “You. Jesse. My Halloween party. West Tower. Eight o’clock. Dress up.”

Hanzo glanced at Jesse, who was casually taking a drink of orange juice, as though Genji talking to Hanzo was a regular occurrence. Jesse caught his look and tried to nod encouragement to Hanzo. He somehow forgot that he was drinking juice though and ended up coughing and spluttering all over the table. Hanzo rolled his eyes as he looked back at Genji, seeing the exact same expression mirrored on his brother’s face.

Hanzo almost smiled before he managed to stop himself. He took a deep breath as he looked at Genji, unsure of his brother’s intentions. Perhaps he should give him the benefit of doubt? Besides, Jesse had wanted to go.

“We’ll be there. Umm, thanks?” Hanzo was unsure whether you thank someone for inviting you to their party. He hadn’t been to one before.

Genji raised an eyebrow, “you’re welcome? See you dweebs there.” As he walked away Hanzo thought he heard Genji mutter something that sounded like, “how are we related?”

Jesse nudged him with an elbow. “Soooo, what are we dressing up as?”

Hanzo just looked at him. God, he was going to miss Jesse. Then he blinked as it sunk in. “Wait, we have to dress up?”

Jesse put his head in his hands. “You don’t get out much, do you?”

Hanzo punched him in the shoulder. “Shut up. Honestly though, I have no idea. I don’t like dressing up.”

Jesse looked at him for a moment, considering. Then his eyes lit up with an idea. “What if,” Jesse began slowly.

Hanzo hated his idea already and he hadn’t even heard the rest.

“What if you go as a cowboy, and I go as a witch.” Jesse grinned at him, eyes alight with the fires of possibility. Hanzo suspected he just wanted to laugh at how stupid Hanzo would look with his cowboy hat on.

“No.”

Jesse’s face fell, “aww, come on. It’s such a good idea. Plus, then we don’t have to scrounge up costumes from somewhere.”

Hanzo sighed. It was a terrible idea, but he couldn’t think of anything better. “Fine.” He looked at Jesse, the dull ache in his chest making itself known again as he stared at his familiar. “What are we going to do for the rest of the day?” Hanzo asked, trying to distract himself. It was their last day together and he wanted to make the most of it.

Jesse shrugged and looked at his plate full of food, as though lamenting its soon-to-be absence already. “Want to go for a walk?”

 

 

So the two of them wiled away the day walking around the castle grounds.

They just talked. About everything. Home. Their crappy families. Jesse told him more about the Deadlock Gang he had joined before the portal had spirited him away. Hanzo described Hanamura and the cherry blossoms in spring.

They were watching the sun set over the lake when Amélie found them on the shore. The water looked almost ablaze as the last rays disappeared over the distant mountains.

Amélie plonked herself down next to Hanzo, her long legs stretching out on the pebbly beach.

“Hey boys.”

Hanzo smiled at her while Jesse tipped his hat. When Jesse turned back to the sunset, Amélie made a kissing motion with her lips and flicked her eyes at Jesse with a raised eyebrow.

Hanzo rolled his eyes while his cheeks warmed up. But he shook his head slightly.

“Why not,” Amélie mouthed silently.

“How?” Hanzo mouthed back with a little shrug.

“Do I have to teach you everything?” Amélie said aloud. Jesse turned to her, eyebrows up. She just shook her head and sighed loudly. “You two going to Genji’s party tonight?”

“Yep. Are you?” said Jesse.

She nodded. “What are you dressing up as?”

“I’m going as a witch, and Hanzo is going to be my cowboy familiar.”

Amélie actually laughed, “nice.”

“You?”

“Lena will be going as an air-ship pilot. I decided I want to be an assassin. A sexy one.” Amélie wiggled her eyebrows suggestively as Jesse did finger guns at her. Hanzo rolled his eyes again.

The dinner bell chimed and the three of them walked back up to the hall together. It felt like the entire school was chattering about Genji’s party, and it made Hanzo wonder how so many people were going to fit in the West Tower. It was already ruined and off-limits to students. Rumour, and several history textbooks, said that it was haunted. He guessed that he would just find out when he got there.

The common room was buzzing with anticipation. Angela and Fareeha already had their costumes on, the pair going as an angel and a beefed-up Anubis. Angela’s dove sat atop the head of Fareeha’s jackal as they chatted on the couch in front of the fire.

Hanzo and Jesse dressed in each other’s clothes. Jesse’s tattered flannel shirt was too big for him, but at least the boots fit. Hanzo steadfastly ignored Jesse’s comment about big feet.

Meanwhile, Jesse dressed in all black. It looked far too gothic for him and Hanzo had to laugh at how ridiculous he looked. Jesse had also decided to wear a tie, but in the last month of wearing one for school, still hadn’t figured out how to tie it properly. Hanzo sighed and moved in close, batting Jesse’s hands away and taking the tie into his own. Once he had it tied, he slid it up around Jesse’s collar, straightening the whole outfit out. When Hanzo finally glanced up from his handiwork, Jesse had a tiny smile playing over his lips.

“Thanks,” he said as he ran a hand through his almost shoulder-length hair.

He needed a decent haircut Hanzo thought. Then he stepped back, realising what was missing from Jesse’s outfit. “Hang on,” he said rummaging in his wardrobe for the most official part of the costume.

When he pulled the pointy black hat onto Jesse’s head the other boy laughed. “I didn’t think you guys actually wore these things.”

“Of course we do. The pointy hat makes a witch a witch. Without it, we’re just… people, I suppose.” Hanzo shrugged. There was something magical about a witch’s hat. When you had the hat on, people _listened_ to you. It had power.

Jesse looked at his own tattered cowboy hat sitting on the bed. “Guess you’re right about that. Are we ready then?”

“Yes,” said Hanzo jamming Jesse’s atrocious cowboy hat onto his head.

Jesse offered his arm to Hanzo. “Then let’s go.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ahh Pratchett. If you haven’t read the Tiffany Aching series and love witches and sarcasm and subtle humor you need to get onto that shit.
> 
> Hang out with me on [Twitter](https://twitter.com/Jakallx) and [tumblr](http://jakallx.tumblr.com/)
> 
> Sorry if I went overboard with the cheez and clichés. I have no self-control. It’s why this fic exists.  
> See you all on Sunday for the final chapter!


	7. Full Moon Halloween

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy Halloween everyone :)

 

The pair casually made their way to the West Tower as if it was a totally normal place to go on Halloween. Well, as casually as they could manage whilst scoping out the corridors to make sure they were empty before they ducked around them.

Hanzo was sceptical of how well the party would get away with being outside of curfew times. Or how loud it was going to be. Apparently, if one of the professors busted in the plan was to run. The logic behind that being, that they could only catch so many students before their hands were full.

Hanzo needn’t have worried though. They didn’t meet any teachers along the way and there were a couple of other students using the old duck-and-run technique to get to the tower. Once they were nearly there, they caught up with Satya and Mei as the girls were edging their way around one of the final corners. Satya outright laughed when she saw Hanzo’s costume, and only laughed harder when he scowled at her. Satya was sporting vampire fangs and a pair of bitemarks in her neck. Mei grinned at the pair of them as she displayed her costume: a massive fur coat, with what looked like a working bear trap attached to the belt at her waist.

When he inquired as to what she was, she told him excitedly that she hunted Yeti’s now. Hanzo thought the trap looked a little dangerous, but Mei waved his doubts away, saying that Jamison made it for her, so it was totally safe.

“Who’s Jamison?” asked Jesse.

“He’s in my year,” replied Mei. “Him and Mako are inseparable, but they don’t go to class much. I’m a little worried about the state of their education.”

Satya shrugged, “I have seen Jamison talking with Professor Torbjorn. Perhaps he is taking supplementary classes?”

Mei looked a little surprised. “Maybe I’ll ask him when we get to the party.”

Hanzo hadn’t spoken to the two older boys before. He had heard they were delinquents though, and smoked behind the stables during lunchbreaks.

As they approached the West Tower ruins Hanzo could feel the vibrations of heavy bass through the stone floor. He couldn’t _hear_ the music – there must be a silence spell cast on the tower – but the feeling alone probably meant that it was only a matter of time before one of the Professors crashed the party.

They pushed open the single wooden door that marked the entrance to the tower. Once over the threshold, it was as though Hanzo’s ears had suddenly remembered they should be doing their jobs and kicked into overdrive. The music was _loud_. And there were people everywhere.

The West Tower had a ruined roof which exposed the tallest room to the sky. There were three levels below, connected by a spiral staircase that ran through the centre of the tower. Every level was packed with dancing students, enough that Hanzo was worried for the structural integrity of the crumbling tower.

They found Genji on the second level talking to a boy from the year below them. Tekhartha, or Zen? Hanzo vaguely recalled. The boy had lost the use of his legs in an accident, but one of the powerful witches from his home in Nepal had cast a spell on him that allowed him to float. It gave the boy a serene and peaceful disposition, at odds with the party around him. Just looking at him made Hanzo feel more relaxed. Genji ruined the feeling almost immediately by pointing and cackling at the stupid cowboy hat that adorned Hanzo’s head.

Hanzo whipped it off and scowled at Genji.

“No, don’t,” said Genji while trying to take a couple of breaths to calm down. “I swear it looks good on you.”

Jesse pouted at Hanzo. “See? Cowboy hats are great.”

“He was being sarcastic,” Hanzo told him. “What are you supposed to be anyway?” he asked Genji.

His brother was dressed in various bits and pieces of cardboard with neon-green circles painted on them. His green hair was held back by a headband that had a little pointed symbol carved into it.

“Cyborg ninja. Duh,” said Genji as though it was obvious. Then he grinned at Hanzo and Jesse and leaned in close. “If you stay late, there’s an afterparty happening. Just our class and some other close friends.” He wiggled his eyebrows at them. “Got a surprise for it.”

Hanzo looked at him suspiciously, this was probably not going to end well.

 

The surprise, as it turned out two hours later, was Professor Zaryanova’s secret supply of vodka. Apparently Genji had staged an epic heist earlier in the week and managed to shimmy down the side of the castle wall and into Zaryanova’s office while Lúcio and Lena distracted her. According to Genji, the whole thing was ‘baller’ and ‘11/10 would heist again’.

By the time Lúcio had turned down the music, all that was left of the party was their class and a couple of stragglers, including Amélie, Jamison, Mako, Zen (who was snuggled up against Genji), Hana, and Mei. They had gathered underneath the open sky at the top of the tower.

Genji was already hopelessly drunk and just giggled at anyone that tried to start a conversation with him. Angela and Fareeha were making out in one of the corners and Jamison and Mako were smoking a packet of cheap cigarettes by one of the crumbling balconies. They were blowing smoke into the moonlit sky, weaving a little magic into them to create fantastical shapes.

Hanzo sipped a drink that Jesse had made him and they both had a shot of vodka (it had burned like hell on the way down) which left Hanzo feeling pleasantly warm despite the chill air. Jesse sidled over to Jamison and asked for a cigarette, which Jamison obliged.

“Cheers,” said Jesse as he stuck it in his mouth, “haven’t had one in ages.” Then he pointed at Jamison’s familiar. “What is that?”

The familiar in question was a large, brown rodent-like creature. It lay on its back in Jamison’s lap with its legs sticking straight in the air. “Bush rat, mate. You ain’t ever seen one?” said Jamison in his extremely Australian accent. The goggles on his mad scientist costume made his eyes seem huge as he leaned in close to Jesse. Mako’s cute teacup pig familiar oinked in response.

“Uh, no? Can’t say I have. Is it not the same as a normal rat?” said Jesse.

Jamison looked deeply offended as he leaned down to his familiar and rubbed its stomach, “don’t listen to the crazy ‘Merican witch. He didn’t mean what he said.”

Hanzo thought the rat looked rather drunk. Come to think of it, he had no idea whether familiars also got drunk when their witch did, or if it went the other way around. He eyed Jesse, who was on his fourth drink, and sighed.

Jamison had turned back to Jesse and was staring at him with crazy eyes. Jesse looked like he regretted asking the question.

“Bush rats ain’t the same as normal rats. You are looking at the most fearsome creature to ever walk the earth. Well, besides platypusses… platypussessess…platypi… and of course, drop bears.”

“Platypi? What’s a platypi?”

“A platypus is an abomination of the land and the water. They have a bill, like a duck, but little flipper legs, and fur!” Jamison paused here and shook his head, “they also lay eggs and have these poison spurs on their legs. One tiny prick and you’ll be in agonising pain for days.”

“Oh, ok,” said Jesse in a very small voice. “Do I even want to know what a drop bear is?”

“You worst nightmare,” whispered Jamison, entirely serious.

Jesse shook his head, almost dislodging the pointy black hat atop it. He looked more than a little disturbed as he held the unlit cigarette between his teeth. Hanzo laughed, he looked ridiculous.

Jamison rounded on him, “oh you’re laughing are you? You ever seen what a drop bear does to someone?” He pulled out his peg leg from beneath him and displayed it for the group to see. By now a couple of others had crowded around listening to Jamison lecture Jesse and him. “This! You never see ‘em coming. Once minute you’re just taking a casual stroll in the bush, the next, you’re screaming in agony with a drop bear feasting on your leg.”

Jesse looked outright horrified. Hanzo was suddenly struck with images of massive bears stalking the Australian bush. He hadn’t thought there were bears in Australia, but you learn something new every day.

“But. What do they look like?” asked Jesse.

Jamison put his hands behind his head, appearing casual. Mako watched the conversation progress with lidded eyes, seemingly used to Jamison’s stories. “You ever heard of a koala?”

Jesse scoffed. “I’ve seen them in pictures. They ain’t scary. They’re adorable.”

Jamison shook his head at Mako. “Foreigners.” Then he turned back to Jesse. “They might _look_ adorable. But at night, when you walk through the deep bush, and you hear the rustling overhead, the shrill cry of a curlew that sets your blood to ice, you had best pray that the rustling isn’t a drop bear. They come from above. Drop down like god’s own punishment. Then, BAM! You’re toast.” Jamison clapped his hands together once and everyone in the circle jumped at the sound. Jamison grinned at them all as they laughed nervously at each other.

Jesse eyed the fluffy rat lazing on Jamison’s lap. “What does a bush rat do if drop bears are that bad?”

Jamison shrugged and took a deep draw from his cigarette. The essence of cool. “They got some of the sharpest teeth imaginable. Once they latch onto you, they ain’t letting go. Then you’re frozen in place and _that’s_ when I strike. Me ol’ mate Hazza nearly lost his hand to one when he was young. We make a good team, don’t we?” he crooned while he rubbed the rat’s stomach.

“Remind me to never go to Australia,” said Jesse out of the corner of his mouth.

Jamison looked up, a mad grin lighting his face. “Australia ain’t a country for the weak. I bet you wouldn’t survive a day there. Besides, I haven’t even told you about hoop snakes yet.”

“Hoop snakes?”

“Please don’t get him started,” rumbled Mako.

“Oooh no, this is good,” chimed in a very drunk Genji. “We should tell scary stories! It is Halloween after all.”

Everyone around them nodded in agreement and settled in a large circle in the centre of the room. They blew out any of the remaining candles so that the only source of light was the full moon, shining through the ruined ceiling. The vodka bottles were passed around the circle, each of them taking a sip and then coughing as it burned the cold night away. Once Lúcio shut off the music a hush descended over the group.

Silence reined for a second before Genji asked who would tell a story first. Nobody volunteered until Amélie, who had a bleary-eyed Lena leaning against her, sighed and offered to tell one. It was a tale of a beautiful woman, captured by a nefarious group of criminals. Her memory was erased and she was taught to kill so she could infiltrate—

“Hey you got a light?” whispered Jesse. They were sitting close together, knees touching, sharing their warmth as a chill breeze whistled through the room. By now, they had both taken off the silly hats, and Jesse was looking longingly at the cigarette in his hand.

“Smoking kills,” Hanzo whispered back. He didn’t like cigarettes much. His mother and father both smoked. The smell reminded him of the time Genji had stolen a pack from their father and had told Hanzo they should learn how to smoke. Genji bowed out after attempting two puffs. Hanzo had smoked the entire pack so there hadn’t been any evidence left. His lungs had been on fire for days afterwards and he had vowed never to take up smoking again. Hanzo looked up into Jesse’s face as he leaned close. “You’ll get lung-cancer.”

To Jesse’s credit he looked a little guilty. “Just one. I promise,” he said as he stuck the cigarette back between his teeth.

Hanzo supposed that it was the alcohol that made him bold as he plucked the cigarette from Jesse’s mouth and put it in his own. He summoned a tiny flame in his palm and lit the cigarette, drawing on it, feeling the smoke fill his lungs. As he blew it out, he wove a little magic into it so that it formed a dragon, wispy and light, that looped around Jesse’s head once before dissipating into the starlit night.

Jesse looked stunned as Hanzo offered the cigarette back to him. He shook his head a little, his curly brown hair dropping down over his eyes as the cigarette burned like a tiny coal in his mouth.

Amélie finished her story to the relief of most of the class.

“That wasn’t scary,” sobbed Lena, “that was so sad.”

Amélie shrugged, a little smile on her face as she hugged Lena close.

Genji asked for another volunteer, but nobody seemed to want to follow up Amélie’s tragedy.

“What about the castle?” asked Fareeha. “I had heard it was haunted. Does anyone know a story about the tower?”

“I have always wondered why it remains ruined,” mused Angela.

Jesse piped up, “Oh, Hanzo knows about this stuff, don’t you?”

Every single head turned towards Hanzo. He cursed Jesse for putting him on the spot. He had no desire to tell a story. Couldn’t he just sit next to Jesse all night? He shook his head; he only knew boring history texts anyway.

“Aww, c’mon, Hanzo,” Jesse nudged him gently with his elbow, “You’ve read that textbook, the one about the castle. You told me some great stuff about it that first weekend.” Jesse smiled at him, appearing innocent, but his eyes were bright and playful. Hanzo’s heart stuttered.

“You’ve actually read the history textbook?” asked Amélie. There were a couple of other impressed noises from various students. Genji opened his mouth to say something, then glanced at Jesse before shutting it again.

“It was the set text in first year,” said Hanzo defensively.

“Yeah, but, no one ever reads stuff in first year,” said Fareeha.

“What does it say about this tower?” asked Satya. “I would not like to be here if ghosts are present.”

She was joined by a chorus of various other voices asking for a story; “C’mon Hanzo.”; “Please, I bet its really scary.”; “Don’t leave us hanging.”

Finally, Jesse turned to him and smiled through a halo of smoke. “Please?” he asked quietly.

The sneaky bastard of a familiar was using the ‘puppy dog eyes’ expression against him. How was that fair? Hanzo sighed, giving in. “Fine. But don’t say I didn’t warn you,” he said, quieting his voice until he had the attention of every person in the room as they strained to hear his words.

“Long ago, before this castle existed, there was a tower—

Jamison gasped loudly, “is it this tower?” Mako punched him in the arm and told him to shut up. Hanzo waited patiently as everyone quieted down again. When he was sure no one would interrupt again, he continued.

“There was a tower. It had stood for generations; no one knew who had built it or why it was here. Some called it the Empty Tower, said it was an evil sign, a dark omen. Blight on the land. Others said it was a sanctuary. A safe haven for those who seek it, those who need it. Magic was said to be woven into its bricks and mortar.

“Whatever it was, it didn’t matter until one fateful night.

“Now, Merga was a powerful witch. She had helped the folk of her town and surrounding countryside ever since she first earned her hat. Merga was appreciated and loved. But she hadn’t known love herself. She was prepared for the solitary life of a witch. Prepared to become what people needed her to be.

“But then she met Heijur, a beautiful woman from the town that Merga served. And as things went, they fell in love and lived happily for a few years.

“That was, until the inquisition came for them.”

Hanzo paused as a dark muttering went around the room, the witch hunters always got people on edge.

“The witch hunters had heard of a woman in the town who wore a witch’s hat. And they came for her. It didn’t matter that Merga had served the townsfolk for years and asked for nothing in return. It didn’t matter that she had helped with births and deaths. Revitalised the sick and cared for the old. It didn’t matter that she had struck down spirits and monsters that would cause the village harm.

“No.

“The townsfolk were more than happy to give her up to the inquisition. The allure of the flame was too much for them to resist. They wanted to watch her burn.

“Merga knew this, and she saw that she only had one choice left to her. She had to take Heijur and run. Heijur protested, she did not want to leave her home, but Merga knew that if Heijur stayed she would be burned at the stake simply for loving a witch. It broke their hearts to leave, but the women would at least have each other.

“So they gathered what they could and ran. They stole a horse, Merga’s broomstick was not powerful enough to carry them both, and galloped out of the town without looking back. That night, it stormed. The rain cut through the dark, soaking the women as they forced their way onwards. The wind howled and lightning flashed, shattering the fragile sky with jagged scars.

“But through the dark and shadows, they could see the flames of the hunt behind them. Getting ever closer.

“Catching up.

“The townsfolk had torches in their hands and hate in their hearts. There was no escaping the witch hunters. Merga decided then, that she would do whatever it took to try and save Heijur. She made for an old tower she had heard dark tales about. She hoped that it might offer them sanctuary, prayed that her magic might be able to protect them. But she was terrified of being overwhelmed.

“And so, as the wind and rain, the lightning and thunder, the dark and the cold, wrapped around the two fleeing women, they came upon the fateful tower.”

Hanzo stood up. He began to stalk around the circle, looking into each witch’s eyes. They were hanging on his every word.

“Merga asked the tower for sanctuary, for security. She weaved a spell, put hope and power into her words and prayed that they would hold back the witch hunters. Then she led Heijur to the top of the tower. They held each other as they watched the flames get closer. Just as Merga told Heijur that she loved her, the flames finally reached the base of the tower.

“And could go no further. Merga’s spell held them back. The inquisition could not breach the doors to the tower. They shouted up at the two women. ‘Heathens!’ they screamed. ‘You cannot escape judgement.’

“And Merga made the mistake of answering back. ‘Your flames cannot burn me! I am above your judgement.’

“’No one is above the judgement of the flame,’ shrieked the head witch hunter. Madness flecked his eyes and insanity licked at his heart. He was a cruel man, and cunning. And he had an idea. ‘Burn the tower,’ he told the townsfolk.

“The two women watched in horror as flame began to catch at the base of the tower. It took hold of the floors below, consuming all beneath them.

“Merga looked into Heijur’s eyes. She could not let her love suffer this fate, and so, as they kissed for the final time, Merga pushed Heijur out of the tower. She gave her lover a quick death.

“Merga screamed as the flame consumed her. With her final words she cursed the witch hunters and the tower. They would be doomed to die the same death as her, burned alive and alone.

“And they did.

“The tower though. Merga cursed the tower and its false sanctuary. It had not protected her and her death was violent and full of hate. She could not rest easy, her spirit was unable to move on. And so she stayed. It is said that her spirit went mad over the years. Became a dark spectre that stalks the night. Watches all from the tallest room, looking for any sign of the flame. She will not rest until others suffer the same fate she did.”

Hanzo looked around at all of his friends and their wide eyes. “It is said that she appears on a full moon.” He looked up at the enormous satellite above him, basking in its silver light. Then he smiled down at them, a glint in his eyes.

“It is said that this tower is the same tower that Merga was burned alive in. And that she will come for you all!”

With that, Hanzo whirled around and roared at his classmates. He summoned flames into his hands that burned bright before dying. He reckoned that nearly everyone, sans Amélie, screamed.

Then entire circle was breathless and silent for a moment before they broke into applause, whooping and yelling. Jamison yelled out, “I knew it!” while others jumped up and patted him on the back. Then Jesse was next to him, hugging him close. “That was really scary,” he whispered into Hanzo’s ear. Hanzo beamed at him, happy for the praise.

“But was it true?” came a slurred voice from behind them. Genji had his arms crossed as he regarded his brother and the rest of the class.

Hanzo shrugged. “The textbook detailed the story. I told it without leaving anything out.”

“You know how we could verify this?” asked Genji, grinning as he observed the class of drunk students high on terror. “We could perform a séance.”

He was immediately shouted down by at least half the class. The other half looked eager.

“Don’t tell me you’re _scared_ ,” said Genji. He shook his head at the class. “One story from Hanzo and you’re shaking in your boots. C’mon. We all know spirits can’t hurt us anyway. This is the only way to prove the story.”

And just like that the rest of the class looked around doubtfully at each other, not wanting to be the first one to say it was a bad idea.

Hanzo thought it was a terrible idea. Séances were dangerous and he told Genji as much.

His brother looked at him coolly. “Are you going to be a killjoy, Hanzo? You can leave if you’re too scared.”

Hanzo opened his mouth to protest, but thought better of it and snapped it shut again. Fine, he wouldn’t be a killjoy, but if they all got into trouble he could say he had warned everyone. A couple of people left, they were the smart ones. Satya said goodnight to him, Mei tagging along too. Neither of them wanted anything to do with ghosts.

After that, everyone sat in a circle, a smaller one, and joined hands. Jesse didn’t look too scared, but Hanzo was pretty sure that was because he had no idea what a séance was. As if to confirm his theory, Jesse leaned into him and whispered, “who’s fiancé are we summoning?”

“ _Séance_ ,” he whispered back. “We’re going to try and talk to any spirits in the tower.”

Jesse’s eyes went as large as the moon, “that sounds like a terrible idea.” But it was too late now, and the circle needed to be complete. Hanzo looked at Jesse and offered his hand to him, hoping Jesse couldn’t see the blush creeping up his neck. Jesse didn’t look away as he took the offered hand, and Hanzo felt a little thrill as Jesse’s calloused fingers enveloped his own. His hand was warm and Hanzo held onto it for dear life.

Now that they were holding hands, he didn’t ever want to let go.

Maybe Jesse felt the same way because he squeezed Hanzo’s hand and smiled nervously at him as Genji began to chalk symbols into the floor.

Hanzo took Amélie’s other hand as Genji re-joined the circle, sealing it.

Then his brother intoned the spell to call the dead forth and asked whether there was a spirit willing to speak with them.

All was silent. A chill breeze blew through the ruined ceiling, causing the young witches to shiver for a moment.

“I ask again,” said Genji. “Is there a spirit that inhabits this tower? Will you speak with us?”

Nobody moved in the silence that followed. Genji shrugged and was about to let go when a particularly strong gust of wind rattled around the room. It was more than a chill. This time there was ice in the wind.

Then they heard it. A whisper, raspy and old, like ancient paper being torn apart. “Who dares speak to me?”

It breathed over the students’ skin, made them shudder as it settled into their bones. Genji cleared his throat and said, a little hesitantly, “we do. We would ask your name spirit.”

“Name?” the voice whispered. Beside him Jesse had begun to shake. Hanzo wasn’t feeling so great about this turn of events either. He hadn’t thought the ghost would be real. The textbook had been written forever ago, and it hadn’t been very clear on the details.

“Your name, spirit. We, as the living, command you to tell us your name.” said Genji.

There was silence for a moment, before, “I do not have a name. I have long forgotten what I was once called.” The voice was slowly getting stronger, and Hanzo frowned as he began to feel tired. His limbs were getting heavier and heavier.

“How did you die, spirit?” asked Genji, giving up on the name.

The voice hissed, long and drawn out. The hairs on the back of Hanzo’s neck stood on end. “The flame. I burned. And burned. It was agony.”

Then Hanzo saw it, a mist, being drawn out of the students to gather in the centre of the circle. He watched in horror, unable to call out to his brother to stop the séance, unable to try and stop the spirit from gathering its strength.

Genji bulled onwards, completely oblivious. “Did you have a lover once?”

Hanzo tried to shake his head at Genji, get him to shut up. He tried to get the attention of the other students, but everyone seemed to be caught in a daze.

“A lover?” asked the spirit, voice suddenly tender, thoughtful. “Yes… once, long ago…”

“What was their name?”

“Name…Yes, she had a name… Heijur was her name… I loved her.” The mist swirled in the centre of the room. Then the voice turned cold and hard. “Did you take her from me?”

Genji was taken aback for a second, then his eyes widened as he suddenly became aware of the mist. “I’m the one asking questions,” he said alarmed. “But no, we didn’t.”

The mist swirled faster and faster, taking shape before them. “Yes you did. I saw the flame. I saw the fire,” said the voice, growing deep with pain. “You took her from me! All of you took her from me!” the voice screamed at them as the mist finally took the form of a burnt corpse, a halo of flaming hair swirling about its head. Its lips were gone and Hanzo looked into the empty eye sockets of a face that might have been beautiful once. Then the spectre opened its mouth and shrieked at them.

That snapped everyone to attention. Suddenly, the class was screaming and fleeing every which way. Hanzo didn’t let go of Jesse’s hand, instead he squeezed it harder as he pulled the boy across the room, away from the ghost.

Hanzo was terrified, but at least his look was reflected in Jesse’s eyes too. Then Jesse came to a halt and turned to him with determination, holding his other hand out to Hanzo. Hanzo felt the rush of magic leave him as the gun formed in Jesse’s hand. The ghost was unable to leave the circle, its clawed fingers scraping against the chalk symbols. Perhaps if they contained it now, it wouldn’t be able to gain more power.

Jesse unloaded six shots straight into the skull of the ghost. Each one went through the mist, but still caused the spectre’s head to snap back from the impact. Hanzo thanked the gods for his quick-thinking familiar. But then the ghost turned on them both and roared, screeching in pain.

Jesse’s gunfire had woken up the rest of the class and called them to action. All of a sudden a hundred different gunshots rang out, hitting the spectre and causing the mist to writhe about as its form was shredded.

With the last of its strength the wraith took a swipe at Lena, who had ventured too close to the circle. Lena ducked away just in time, but it was too late, the spirit’s arm had left the circle.

It laughed. Malicious and terrible, the sound echoed around the room even as the rest of the class shot it to pieces.

The mist swirled for a moment and every single witch held their breath.

“You.” The voice was barely a whisper again. A single tendril of mist snaked out to point at Jesse. “I will take from you what was taken from me.”

The mist flew at Hanzo, coalescing into what it could. The wraith’s jaw hanging by a thread, its skull blown apart by Jesse’s bullets. Even as Jesse shot another clip into its chest, it didn’t stop coming.

Hanzo backed up, desperately summoning flame into his hands. He threw a fireball at the wraith but it didn’t slow down. Then he was backed against the wall. Jesse screamed at him to run. But he couldn’t. His heart beat wildly in his chest and his legs had turned to lead. He shut his eyes as the wraith reached him.

And he felt Jesse move.

_No_.

Jesse jumped in front of him. Put his arms out in front of Hanzo, facing the wraith head on. Hanzo yelled out in horror as the ghost swooped into Jesse and his familiar crumpled onto the floor.

Then Hanzo was on his knees, chest suddenly empty, all feeling ripped from his body. He couldn’t breathe. Couldn’t feel. His eyes were wide and vacant as he looked at Jesse’s body lying on the stone floor before him.

The spectre cackled, trying to pull itself together again.

He felt like he was falling, hollow and empty, through the uncaring night air.

Then Hanzo looked up at the wraith. It had done this. Jesse was hurt and it had done this.

He felt something ignite in his belly, trying to chase away the empty feeling with the flames of rage. It burned through him as he summoned flame into his hands. The fire turned blue as he fed it his rage. Then he threw it at the wraith, swept his arm up, poured out every ounce of magic in himself until the flame surrounded it in a burning hurricane.

It screamed in horror and pain as it was consumed once again by the bite of fire. He glimpsed his classmates ducking for cover as the intensity of the heat swallowed up any lingering chill in the air.

When the flame finally went out, and Hanzo had nothing left to spend, the spirit was gone.

Hanzo sunk to his knees, tried to suck in a desperate breath. He reached out, crawled over to Jesse.

The other boy was cold. Shallow breaths were coming slower and slower. Jesse’s eyes were wide and glassy, nothing behind them. As empty as Hanzo felt. Hanzo’s hands shook as he nudged Jesse.

“Wake up,” he said not willing to accept the scene he saw before him.

Sound slowly came back and he heard Genji calling out for help behind him. Then Angela was there, feeling for a pulse, whispering a spell while Lúcio hovered behind her, looking frightened.

She shook her head, as Jesse’s breath stuttered, became even shallower. She looked up into Hanzo’s eyes and he knew.

Hanzo felt a burn in his eyes as he looked down at his familiar.

The class was gathered around, silent and scared. Nobody knew what to do.

“A kiss,” blurted Genji. “You know, like in the fairytales?”

Hanzo turned on his brother, fury in his heart. “We do not live in a fairytale!” he yelled. But he stopped when he saw the anguish in Genji’s face.

“You have to try,” he whispered to Hanzo. “We didn’t think ghosts were real. Maybe a kiss will wake him up?”

Hanzo looked up at Angela. She held a spark of hope in her eyes as she nodded her encouragement.

Hanzo stared down at Jesse. His angular features had filled out in the past month now that he was eating more. Hanzo gently swept the hair out of Jesse’s face as he leaned down. His lips were slightly parted as Hanzo brushed them with a finger. They were soft and as Hanzo pressed his own against Jesse’s –

“What the hell is going on in here? We’re not in some fairytale, Shimada,” Professor Reyes roared as Hanzo was suddenly pushed out of the way. Reyes looked furious as he took in the scene before him. The rest of the class were gathered around, holding onto each other, watching the tragedy unfold beneath their gazes. “Somebody better start speaking,” Reyes spat as he knelt above Jesse’s body, feeling for a pulse and beginning to mutter spells under his breath.

Hanzo couldn’t speak. He only felt the chasm inside his chest yawn wider as Jesse’s breath hitched again.

Genji decided to take the bullet for the class and began telling Reyes about the séance. His voice shook with barely-contained terror as the story went on. When Genji reached the bit where Jesse had jumped in front of the ghost, Reyes looked sharply up at him. He frowned then, his eyes flicking to Hanzo and then back to Jesse, before he rolled them so hard it looked like they were in danger of disappearing into the back of his skull.

Reyes ran one of his hands through his short black hair, looking tired, then moved it to just above Jesse’s chest. He concentrated for a second, then looked up at Angela. “You watching Zeigler?” he asked.

“Yes, sir,” she squeaked as she concentrated on whatever Reyes could see above Jesse. Then she cocked her head, her mouth opened in a tiny ‘oh’ as Reyes clutched at the air.

She reached out too and all of a sudden golden light bloomed from Jesse’s chest and flooded the room.

Jesse bolted upright, coughing and spluttering as he looked around wildly. He clutched his chest as his gaze swept from Reyes, to Angela, and then finally to Hanzo. Hanzo, who had his own hands at his chest, clutching at the warmth suddenly filling him. It was overwhelming.

“What happened?” Jesse asked. He groaned as he rubbed his chest. “I remember a ghost. Shooting it. Then I was hovering above the room. I remember flame.” Jesse paused then, his eyes distant. “I think I felt someone’s lips on my own.” Hanzo’s face flamed red and he looked away as Jesse zoomed in on the person closest to him, which was, unfortunately, Professor Reyes. “It wasn’t _you_ was it?” he asked with a horrified look.

Reyes rocked back on his heels, unimpressed. “No. It wasn’t me. Shimada here, thought it would be appropriate to perform fairytale CPR on you.”

Jesse’s gaze snapped to Hanzo, eyebrows raised. Then he looked back to Reyes and tilted his head quizzically. “What costume are you wearing, sir? Looks pretty scary.”

Reyes’s face went slack as he regarded Jesse, trying to figure out whether he was being a smartass or genuinely curious. “This is my normal attire, Mr McCree. Obviously you are going to be ok if you are lucid enough to comment on my fashion choices.” He turned to the rest of the class, who stood around looking extremely guilty and more than a little terrified of what the consequences of the night’s events would be.

Hanzo didn’t have the energy to be embarrassed in front of them anymore. Out of the corner of his eye he saw Amélie smirking as she collected something from Lena, Lúcio, and Genji.

“As for the rest of you.” Reyes’s voice was like ice. Far colder than the ghost’s was. “Detention, for a week. Unbelievable,” he said under his breath. “Now, get out of my sight.”

There was a stampede for the door as everyone rushed to get out of Reyes’s view. Hanzo crawled back over to Jesse, heart lighter than it had been in a while. He was drunk on relief and hugged Jesse close without saying anything. Jesse clung onto his back tightly, just breathing deeply, head nestled into Hanzo’s neck.

“You two going to be all right?” asked Reyes, looking down at them both as they hastily broke apart again.

“Yes, sir,” said Hanzo looking up at the Dark Arts Professor. “Thank you, sir… for, um, waking him up.”

Reyes raised an eyebrow. “Just doing my job. Are you still going to disappear this morning, Mr McCree?”

Jesse shrugged and Hanzo felt the familiar pain stab his chest. Jesse’s eyes flicked to him for a moment before going back to Reyes. “Probably. I… was wondering sir, if you would let Hanzo and I stay up here? Cause it’s my final night and all…”

Reyes regarded Jesse and Hanzo for a full five seconds, then he dragged one of his hands down his face as he sighed. The gesture seemed strange on the normally stoic and emotionless professor. “Fine, but don’t do anything stupid. Your ghost-summoning stunt has already given me enough paperwork for the next month. I don’t need to add a death from the tower walls to my pile.” He muttered something that sounded like, “lord knows, Jack is already going to kill me for letting this go.”

Then he turned on his heel and left. It was a little while before they heard the door slam far below.

And they were alone in the tower.

“I can’t believe you actually got me killed this time,” mused Jesse.

Hanzo punched him in the arm, eliciting an ‘ow’ from Jesse. Hanzo shook his head at his familiar, he couldn’t believe that the boy was real, everything he did seemed like it was out of some kind of heroic movie. “You didn’t die.”

Jesse rubbed his chest. “It felt like it,” he muttered.

Hanzo grimaced. “Why did you jump in front of me? That was the stupidest thing I have ever seen anyone do.”

“Yeah, but it looked awesome. Don’t tell me you didn’t think it was totally a badass move to jump in front of a screaming ghost.” Jesse grinned at him and then hopped up, offering his hand to Hanzo.

Hanzo took it and Jesse helped him to his feet. He didn’t let go of Hanzo’s hand after, instead electing to drag him over to one of the holes in the wall. Jesse climbed onto the rubble, clearing a spot so that Hanzo could sit next to him. After Hanzo climbed up – eyeing the drop, but ignoring it – Jesse put his arm around Hanzo’s waist, pulling him close.

“So… ghosts are real,” started Jesse.

“Mmm. You got portalled across the world to a magic school. Is it much of a leap to believe in ghosts?”

“Nah, but it’s kinda creepy to realise that the poor woman got burned alive in the tower.”

“I find it sad,” said Hanzo, looking out at the moonlit grounds. “Do you…” he began, but stalled when he realised what he wanted to ask. The curiosity burned inside him as Jesse held him tight.

“Do I…what?” asked Jesse, face suddenly very close to Hanzo’s own as they stared into each other’s eyes.

Hanzo took a deep breath steeling his nerves. “Was the ghost right? When she said that she would take from you what had been taken from her? Do you really feel that way about me?” the words came out in a rush before Hanzo had enough time to regret them. He bit his lip to keep him from saying anything else.

Jesse looked away from him and out to the slowly brightening sky. Dawn wasn’t far off. “Yeah. I kinda do,” he said and Hanzo felt a little thrill in his chest as his heart beat faster. Jesse turned back to Hanzo, their noses were almost touching as Jesse whispered, “did you really try and kiss me awake?”

Hanzo groaned and put his face in his hands, “don’t remind me. It was Genji’s idea.”

“It wasn’t that bad was it?”

Hanzo peeked up at Jesse through his fingers. The cowboy had a sparkle in his eyes, grin playing over his teeth. “No,” Hanzo mumbled, still mortified.

Jesse rubbed the back of his neck, clearing his throat slightly. “So… would you do it again?”

Hanzo’s heart stuttered and then kicked into overdrive. Jesse was staring at him with a fierce look in his eye, refusing to be embarrassed.

“I… yeah, probably. If you wanted to,” he said, barely daring to hope. Then he remembered the contract. The sky was getting lighter and soon the sun would peek over the mountains and Jesse would disappear. Unless he could stop it.

But would Jesse want him to?

Was it selfish to want him to stay?

“The contract,” Hanzo said helplessly. “Won’t an ‘act of love’ seal the contract? I’m pretty sure kissing counts.”

Jesse just shrugged and grinned, “well, I mean. If nothing happened before, why would it happen now? Plus, I want to participate in the kissing this ti—

Hanzo reached up to pull Jesse’s head down, refusing to think as he pressed his lips to Jesse’s, feeling them open slightly in surprise before sighing into his own. Jesse reached a hand up to Hanzo’s face, brushing his fingers lightly down his cheek, setting Hanzo’s skin aflame. The kiss was wet and sloppy, and really nothing at all how Hanzo had imagined his first kiss to be. But he was kissing Jesse, so everything seemed to be perfect in that moment.

Until they broke apart and Hanzo remembered that Jesse would disappear in a couple of minutes. The sky was streaked with red and the last of the stars had disappeared from view.

“Why did you jump in front of the ghost Jesse?” mumbled Hanzo again. He clung to the front of Jesse’s shirt, trying to hold onto this boy while he still could.

“Because I’m your familiar,” Jesse said simply.

Hanzo looked up at Jesse, completely nonplussed by the strange human in front of him. “But you won’t be. Not anymore. You’re leaving… me.” Hanzo hung his head as he finally said out loud the words that had dogged him for the last week. He shut his eyes as the heaviness in his chest threatened to put out the warm fire that burned bright and happy.

Jesse cleared his throat. “Well… I mean, I don’t _have_ to leave.”

Hanzo’s head snapped up. “What?”

“You could ask me to stay. I wouldn’t mind it so much, could get used to this cushy boarding school life.”

“You… you would really stay? You would be my familiar?”

“Only if you ask me to.”

Hanzo took a deep breath, not daring to hope. Honestly surprised, that after everything, Jesse might actually want to stay here. With him. “Will you stay with me Jesse?” He said in a rush. No preamble, just pure desire.

Jesse smiled an easy smile down at Hanzo, “sure I will, darling.”

The sun peeked over the mountains, the first rays bathing the two boys in its golden glow. And Jesse didn’t disappear.

Hanzo felt the last of the melancholy burn out of his chest as they sat in the morning warmth. Then Hanzo squinted at Jesse. “Wait, that’s it?”

“What’s it?”

“I don’t know… I was expecting something more, I suppose. No flash of light, no chain dissolving. Just you saying yes?”

Jesse looked away from him, what looked like guilt, tugging a corner of his mouth down.

“What?” asked Hanzo slowly.

“About that… I kind of said yes to the contract two weeks ago… When you were sleeping after feeding me soup.” Jesse looked a little chagrined.

Hanzo stared at him. His mouth hanging open. “What?”

Jesse shrugged. “Like I said, ain’t nobody ever done that for me before.”

Hanzo frowned at him. “So you just let me think you were going to leave for the last two weeks?” Honestly, this familiar was way more trouble than he was worth. At least, that’s what Hanzo tried to tell himself.

“Well, I wasn’t exactly sure you wanted me around in the first place?” Jesse shrugged and Hanzo suddenly felt much guiltier for how he had acted. “You didn’t exactly give me a warm reception. So I wanted you to ask me to stay. And you did,” Jesse grinned at him.

_Well, that was fair_ , Hanzo thought with a grimace. He was ashamed of how he had treated Jesse. He wouldn’t have wanted to stay with himself if it came to it.

“I’m sorry,” Hanzo said to him, earnestly. “I was… afraid…of asking.” He sighed then, and decided to just say what he should have said weeks ago. He looked up into Jesse’s face, determined. “I’ve never felt like this about anyone before. Thank you, for being my familiar. And for saving my life. If there’s anything I can do to repay you, let me know?”

Jesse grinned at him, face brighter than the sun. “You could kiss me again?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Peer pressure is a hell of a drug, kids. Be safe this Halloween and don’t summon ghosts, even if your friends think it’s a good idea.  
> Disclaimer: I do not condone underage drinking or smoking. Smoking is bad. Don’t do it. Drinking can be fun. Be responsible.  
> Anyway, thanks for reading along and for all your lovely comments. They motivated me while I edited this thing. I’d love to hear what you thought of the story as a whole!
> 
> Fun Facts!  
> -[platypus venom](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Platypus_venom) and [Drop Bears](http://australianmuseum.net.au/drop-bear) are totally real.  
> -So is the bush rat story. My brother got bitten by one when he was ten. Funniest shit I have seen in my life. (Don’t worry, he was completely fine)  
> -I wrote this in 3 days. Sorry it’s super lean on character and setting descriptions. I didn’t have the patience or word count to expand a whole lot.  
> -RE, word count: This was meant to be a short story. Lol. Fail.  
> -In the first draft, I seemed to forget entirely that Junkrat literally has the word ~rat~ in his name and I gave him a platypus familiar. Which is why they have a conversation about platypuseseseseseseses.  
> -Hanzo’s spooky witch story was inspired by [The Jezabels-Come Alive](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zoLWLsO-ApQ). 
> 
> I would probably be open to writing a Christmas story in the same AU? Would anyone read that kind of garbage?  
> I also am pretty open to taking requests on my tumblr. *shrugs* if you have something you think I might be able to write, let me know.
> 
> Hang out with me on [Twitter](https://twitter.com/Jakallx) and [tumblr](http://jakallx.tumblr.com/)
> 
> Edit: You lot said yes to the Christmas fic so Imma write it. I'll probably deliver during McHanzo week in December! :D


	8. The Winter Ball (McHanzo week short)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Heeyyy! It’s been a while. This short was originally written and posted in my McHanzo week collection at the end of last year. I’m chucking it on here now because I have a pretty lengthy one shot chapter I’m hoping to post on the weekend, and I thought I would throw this on the original before it goes up so that the chapters are still chronological.
> 
> I re-edited it but also got a little carried away writing an entire prologue bonus scene that ended up doubling the word count. Woops. Hope you enjoy!

The crowd of students gathered around the notice board shouted excitedly at each other. Hanzo mentally did a calculation of dates in his head and then groaned. The boy at his side, his familiar… his boyfriend (Hanzo still had no idea how to classify their relationship… did kissing occasionally count as being boyfriends?) raised his eyebrows at him.

“What’s goin’ on over there?” he asked, his Southern twang had grown on Hanzo over the past couple of months, and as much as he thought he still hated it, Hanzo didn’t think he’d be able to recognise Jesse without it.

“It’s the Winter Ball,” said Hanzo, keeping his voice low as if he didn’t want to remind himself it was happening. “They have it every year and it’s horrible.”

Jesse’s eyes lit up and then fell again. “Oooh sounds fancy. Why do you hate it?” A sly smile crept onto his face, “don’t tell me you can’t dance?”

Hanzo felt his expression sour. It wasn’t a question of whether he could or couldn’t dance, it was whether anyone wanted to dance with him. “I can dance,” he hissed at his familiar. “I just don’t like to.”

The sly smile turned into a grin. “Would you like dancing with me?”

Hanzo closed his eyes, trying to ignore the excited little skip his heart just made and the slow reddening of his face as he thought about dancing with Jesse in front of half the school. At least they would be in the senior ball this year, it might not be as humiliating as being left on the sidelines. But he was still sure it would be pretty humiliating to dance with a cowboy.

Hanzo just decided to ignore the question rather than answer it and pushed past a crowd of first year students that quickly moved to the side when they saw his face. The notice was large and decorated with winter paraphernalia, surrounding the central times for the ball.

The senior ball was the night before the winter holidays began and below it was a list of when the compulsory dancing lesson they would have to attend in the next week.

“Dance lessons?” Jesse looked a little doubtful as he scanned the notice. “Do they really expect us to do fancy dancing, like the olden days?”

Hanzo shrugged, “they like to keep things traditional. Can you dance?” He was a little curious, his familiar was always full of surprises.

“I’ve dabbled,” said Jesse, but he didn’t elaborate further.

Hanzo narrowed his eyes in suspicion, then it hit him. “Please tell me you know something other than line dancing.”

Jesse looked hurt, “just cause I look like a cowboy doesn’t mean I’m entirely lame.” Hanzo didn’t say anything. “Aw, c’mon. Cut me some slack.”

Hanzo held up his hands, palms out, not wanting to start a fight. “Ok, whatever. I suppose we’ll see tomorrow evening.”

He sighed, hoping this wasn’t just another opportunity to embarrass himself in front of the class. This semester had gone fast, almost _too_ fast. He didn’t really want to admit it to himself, but it had basically been the most enjoyable three months of his life. Hanzo eyed Jesse out of the corner of his eye as they made their way to the library to study. It was all thanks to his familiar. Jesse’s easy-going nature and inclusive personality was sometimes draining to be around, but Hanzo felt like he had actually begun to enjoy _other people_ ’s company because of it. He bumped his shoulder into Jesse’s, smiling when the other boy bumped him back.

Maybe dancing with him would actually be fun.

* * *

“Alright, alright. Listen up,” said the headmaster. The repurposed classroom was all set for that night’s dance lesson, tables pulled back against the walls to create a dancefloor. Three classes of the senior school were there, standing around and shouting at each other about the coming week of exams. Professor Morrison and Professor Reyes stood in the centre of the room. They always ran the dance lessons and tonight was no exception. Nobody had heard Morrison, or more likely, had chosen not to hear him, and he rolled his eyes at Professor Reyes, drawing breath to speak again.

But Reyes beat him to it. “Quiet,” he all but whispered.

A silence descended immediately as every single student turned to face them both, anyone still speaking received quick slaps and hushes from their friends. If you got on Reyes’s bad side, even by association, your life became a living hell.

Thankfully, he seemed to actually _like_ Jesse and himself. Hanzo had no idea why, especially after the ghost debacle during Halloween, but Reyes’s class was probably going to be his best this term.

“Thank you, Professor Reyes,” said Morrison to the now-silent room. “The Winter Ball is next week and, as I’m sure you are all excited for, so are the holidays. First, a couple of announcements. If you are choosing to stay at the school over the break you will need to put your name on the register after the lesson tonight.”

Hanzo bit his lip. He had been agonising for weeks over whether to go home or not this year, but ultimately, despite the constant homesickness he felt, he didn’t really want to face his mother or the rest of the family just yet. He had accepted that Jesse was his familiar, but he had a feeling that the rest of the family would not. He knew his mother would see him as nothing but a failure and he wanted to prolong the inevitable shame and humiliation of that lecture for as long as possible.

He sighed. Eventually he’d have to take Jesse back home, but it didn’t have to be over the winter holidays.

Morrison continued to drone on about exam week and a checklist for when they all returned for the new term before he finally got to the dancing lessons. Hanzo quite enjoyed watching the two professors attempt to teach the students dancing. Every year they started with a plan that absolutely went to shit the moment they both took to the dancefloor.

The problem was that they both wanted to lead.

It was a battle of wills and eventually Morrison would be the one to concede, this year not being the exception to the rule. Once they had the partnership sorted though, their dancing was nothing short of beautiful. Hanzo hadn’t really paid attention in the previous years of lessons, not ever having a partner to dance with, or friends who wanted to see him attempt to dance.

This year was different.

Jesse was watching the steps of the dance intently, eyes flicking between the teachers’ feet, mouth silently counting steps. Hanzo had to rip his eyes away from his familiar’s face to watch the dance. If Jesse seemed that determined to learn, then Hanzo wasn’t about to disappoint his familiar again.

The music was a jazz number, ancient style for an ancient tradition, Hanzo supposed. All too soon it was time for the students to take to the floor. And in the end, practicing wasn’t bad at all. Jesse let him take the lead and they managed to be the only pair that seemed to have some vague idea of what they were doing. The rest of the class was a mess. Hanzo caught a glimpse of Amelie and Lena’s beautiful disaster. Lena’s feet kept skipping the moves, going too fast against the music. Amelie looked as though she was annoyed, but Hanzo caught a glimpse of her lips twitching as she looked down at the other girl. Genji was sitting on the sidelines, chatting to his partner from the year below them who he had invited to the dance. His brother was much more mellow whenever he talked to the young Nepalese witch.

Nobody paid much attention to them and Hanzo even found himself having something akin to fun. He and Jesse twirled around the other students, effortlessly weaving in and out. It took Hanzo a little while but when he finally had the guts to glance back up into Jesse’s face his heart almost stopped. Jesse’s eyes were fixed on him. Following his every move. And when their eyes did meet, Jesse gave him a smile that felt like the warm summer sun had decided to come out six months early, just for him, and Hanzo’s heart really did stop.

And so did his feet.

It felt like time slowed down as Hanzo watched Jesse’s smile turn to surprise as he tripped over Hanzo’s ankles and pitched forward into him. Hanzo began to fall backwards, arms flailing as they both let out similarly timed yelps.

Then his back hit the floor and Jesse landed in a tangled heap on top of him. Hanzo was having trouble breathing, but he didn’t think it was entirely to do with the warm but heavy—gods, really heavy—weight on his chest.

Hanzo stared up into his familiar’s eyes, the brown depths were bright with shock, humour, and a touch of whatever that warmth, fluttering like a million butterflies creeping up from his stomach, was. Hanzo wondered whether Jesse was going to lean down and kiss him in front of the entire class.

Instead, Jesse raised an eyebrow before he lifted himself off Hanzo. “That wasn’t my fault,” he said as he offered out a hand.

“That was entirely your fault,” muttered Hanzo as he accepted the hand, perhaps holding on to it a touch too long.

“I ain’t the one with two left feet.”

Hanzo sighed. Ok, so it was his fault the entire class was staring at the pair and snickering into their hands right now. But who could blame him? A smile like that should be illegal or something. It almost hurt to realise that the smile had been for him and him alone.

What had he done to deserve Jesse?

Hanzo crossed his arms over his chest as the warmth inside welled up and made it difficult to breathe. Jesse raised the other eyebrow at him.

In answer, he walked back over to where Genji and the others not taking part in the practice dance were sitting. Trying to ignore the whispers of the rest of the class.

“Nice dancing,” Genji stage-whispered, setting off muffled laughter from a couple of the students seated around them.

Hanzo rolled his eyes to cover his embarrassment as Jesse came over and sat beside him. “What happened there. You just kinda stopped for a second,” Jesse gently nudged him with his shoulder.

Hanzo hunched his arms closer to his chest. But Jesse was content to wait.

“Truthfully?” said Hanzo, after what felt like an age.

“Well, yeah. I ain’t gonna judge.”

“You won’t laugh?”

“Aw c’mon, Hanzo. Give me some credit.”

Hanzo sighed as the heat crept up his neck and he hissed into Jesse’s ear. “You _smiled_ at me.”

Jesse’s breath huffed out at once as he turned to Hanzo with that same smile breaking out on his face. It was unbearable to look at. “Really?” asked Jesse, the already enormous grin getting bigger by the second.

“Shut up.”

“I ain’t said anything.” Jesse spread his arms out in front of him in the universal I-give-up gesture, but his eyes were bright with mischief and humour and what looked a bit like awe as he continued to look nowhere else but Hanzo’s eyes.

Hanzo watched the other students practice until the end of the class, at which point Morrison called for all the students staying at school over the winter break to put their names on the register. Hanzo slid off the bench and began to walk over to where Morrison had set up the paper. A couple of final year students had already signed it—needing the extra study time for their final exams next term—but as Hanzo knew, not many stayed in the freezing castle over the winter break.

Genji did. Every year.

While he went home.

Hanzo swallowed and picked up the pen and signed his name. He looked over to where Jesse had swaggered up beside him, but was now frowning at the paper.

“You ain’t going home?” he asked quietly.

“Not this year,” muttered Hanzo.

Jesse’s frown deepened, but he took up the pen all the same and signed his name in a messy scrawl below Hanzo’s.

Hanzo felt the guilt wake up in the base of his stomach. It crawled around his insides the whole way back to the common room, ruining his good mood. Jesse was quiet, his hands shoved in his uniform pockets, face hidden in the shadow of his cowboy hat.

The guilt continued to bubble away in the pit of Hanzo’s stomach all through the evening while Jesse’s mood soured. He just stared into the fire while Hanzo studied for his exams.

At least, he tried to. It was difficult when all he could think of was how he’d spent the last couple of months telling Jesse about his home and how much he wanted Jesse to see it, only to let his own shame and cowardice get the best of him. He wanted to take Jesse home, he really did. But he also was not ready to face his mother’s wrath and bitter disappointment.

Or the elders telling him that this was just another year he dishonoured his family.

Hanzo closed his book quietly and moved his homework to the side. Then he brought his knees up to his chest and hugged them close, trying to think of how to begin. He saw Jesse’s eyes flick to him briefly, before returning to the fire again.

“I want to take you home,” said Hanzo quietly. “I want you to see it. The compound in Hanamura is beautiful, even at this time of year. It often snows early. The house and outbuildings get dusted in a coat of fine white. The shrine and its gardens look otherworldly.” He paused, feeling that deep sense of longing he always did when he spoke of home.

“How come we ain’t goin’ then?” Jesse muttered.

Hanzo swallowed. Bit his lip, chewed on the words he was thinking about saying and then finally mumbled them into his knees. “Because I’m a disappointment. I dishonour my family.”

Jesse was looking at him now, he could feel the other boy’s eyes boring into his head, but he couldn’t look him in the eye back.

“Oh, I see,” Jesse leaned back from him. “I’m the disappointment. Sorry if I don’t live up to your expectations.”

Hanzo’s head snapped around and he fixed Jesse in his gaze. “Do not, for one second, _ever_ think you have disappointed me, Jesse,” he said, voice dangerously low and wobbling just a touch. He gritted his teeth against the rising guilt. “You are the best—

He bit off the rest of that sentence and sighed instead, looking away. “My family… they’re old, and stuffy, and carry traditions from centuries ago on their shoulders like nothing has changed in between. I just… they won’t… understand.” Hanzo took a deep breath and looked back into Jesse’s eyes, finding that they were wide with shock, and a little bit sad at the same time. “I want to take you home, I really, really do. I just need time, to figure out how to make it work. I’m sorry,” he mumbled the last part into his knees again.

“Y’know, you could have just told me that,” Jesse said as he scooted closer to him. Hanzo felt his arm around his shoulders, and he leaned in closer to the warmth. “If you need time, then you need time.”

Hanzo smiled and shook his head a little. Jesse was a mystery and a wonder, and someone he had never imagined in his wildest dreams would want to be with him. “It’s hard to talk about my family,” he ended up saying.

“Yeah, I know how you feel.”

Hanzo wondered if he would go on, the arm around his shoulders tightened a little, but Jesse remained silent.

They stayed like that for a while, just watching the fire burn until Jesse suddenly bolted upright, making Hanzo jump. His familiar turned to him with wide eyes. “Is it Reyes’s exam tomorrow?”

Hanzo rolled his eyes. He’d been telling Jesse about it all week, trying to get him to study. “Yes.”

The sheer panic in Jesse’s face made Hanzo laugh.

“Do you have notes for it?” asked Jesse, his voice pitching higher.

“Yes.” He had many notes for it. _He_ had been preparing for this exam since Reyes had set the first piece of homework for the term.

“Can I borrow them?”

“No,” Hanzo pushed his book out of reach just as Jesse made a grab for it. “How are you going to learn otherwise?”

“Aw c’mon, it’s been two years since I had to take a test and you’re gonna pull the rug out from under me the night before? That’s just cruel.” The terror and desperation in Jesse’s eyes was enough to push him over the edge.

Hanzo sighed. “Fine. I will help you study.” Jesse’s eyes lit up with hope. “But I will not give you my notes. You can make your own.”

Jesse looked like he was going to try and argue but then he glanced at the clock on the wall and winced. “Ok. Deal. Please, god, tell me what to study.”

The two of them ended up pulling an all-nighter to prepare, but by the end of it Hanzo was feeling more confident about this exam than any other he’d ever done.

Jesse looked exhausted and had bags under his eyes that made Hanzo worried he would fall asleep during the exam. And by the time they left the exam, Hanzo was sure his familiar was going to collapse in the castle hallway. He was ready for a nap too, but dragged Jesse to the second dance class that afternoon, dreading what was to come.

It wasn’t so bad, though.

The rest of the exam week passed in a blur of sleepless nights and constant panic, and by the time both of them were standing in the common room on the night of the winter ball, Hanzo was exhausted.

But also strangely eager. He had a nervous energy inside him that made his hands want to twitch.

Jesse seemed to be in the same boat as he tugged at the collar of his dress shirt for the fifth time that evening prompting Hanzo to sigh loudly and bat the fingers away.

“Stop fidgeting,” he murmured, while he straightened the collar back out, making sure the tie was perfect. His hand lingered over Jesse’s chest, fingers tracing down the seam of the shirt. If he was honest with himself, everything about his familiar was perfect. And, if he really wanted to open the dusty chest of repressed emotional backlog that always seemed to come pouring out whenever Jesse was involved, he would even say that Jesse looked attractive in a suit. Like, _really_ attractive.

Hanzo raked his eyes over Jesse’s (for once) well-groomed hair. Ok, he gave up.

Hot. Jesse was hot.

Jesse looked down at Hanzo’s lingering hand and then back up to catch his eyes for just a little longer than was appropriate. Hanzo felt his face heating up and he snatched his hand away before anyone in the common room saw them.

He flicked his eyes around the room, checking to make sure no one had. It seemed all clear until he saw Genji pretending to vomit into the fireplace, much to the amusement of Lucio and Lena. His brother’s little green dragon familiar stuck its tongue out at Hanzo, immediately ruining his good mood and making Genji laugh when he caught sight of the scowl on Hanzo’s face.

Jesse noticed the war happening across the room and elected to put an arm around Hanzo’s waist and pull him in close, all while staring straight at Genji with one eyebrow raised. Hanzo’s face went even redder, but he didn’t do anything about the arm. He liked being held far more than he hated being embarrassed.

The realisation of that particular thought hit him like an arrow straight to the face. What had his life become these last three months? He’d gone from being a social recluse who everyone hated to having a boyfriend and actually being low-key excited about dancing at the Winter Ball tonight. He looked up at Jesse.

It was all his fault. If he hadn’t shown up that night, Hanzo… would probably never have left his room tonight and would have been on the first shuttle home for the holidays in the morning. He wouldn’t even be on speaking terms with Genji. He wouldn’t have had the courage to actually begin conversations with his classmates. He wouldn’t have summoned a ghost and nearly died and then nearly died again when Jesse had actually died. Wouldn’t have… wouldn’t have had his first kiss—

Ok, so his life was much better with Jesse in it.

And with _that_ particular realisation he grabbed Jesse’s hand, ignoring any of the looks in the common room, and began the march down to the hall while dragging his familiar behind him. It was time to leave anyway, and the only reason their class was still in the common room was because the walk through the castle was freezing. Snow already blanketed the land beyond the castle walls, and the lake had ice floating in it.

The rest of the class ended up following the pair as they made their way down to the main dining hall. The castle had been decorated with numerous massive fir trees, all decked out in charms and tiny little firefly lanterns. The torches along the walls threw out their flickering orange light, trying to create an atmosphere of warmth despite the frigid air in the halls.

The dining hall itself had been completely transformed, holly and birch twigs were entwined with tiny charms and hung upon the stone walls. Pine branches adorned doorways and red ribbons where tied throughout the ensembles. Hanzo suspected that some of the older prefects had hidden mistletoe somewhere too, but he hadn’t spotted it just yet. The entire room was lit only by the two massive fireplaces at either end of the hall, and a swarm of fireflies on the ceiling, held together by some kind of weaving spell. They lazily buzzed among each other, the undulating soft yellow light creating a soothing and beautiful effect on the room.

Jesse spotted a free table and they made their way over to it. Hanzo pulled his chair around so he was sitting next to Jesse rather than opposite him, and tried to ignore the dumb smile that lit up his familiar’s face when he leaned his shoulder against Jesse’s. The rest of the senior school was steadily filing in, all of them dressed up in gowns and suits, talking excitedly about the night ahead.

Hanzo spotted Satya across the room, she was dressed in an elegant turquoise gown and her hair had not a strand out of place. Her Siamese familiar proudly padded behind her, immaculate fur glowing. Hanzo waved at her when she paused, looking as if she was at a loss as to where to sit. The smile that lit her face when she made her way over was dazzling. She folded herself into a spare chair opposite them while her familiar bounded into Hanzo’s lap and immediately made himself at home.

“Evening,” said Jesse with an easy smile. He went to tip a hat that wasn’t currently on his head and looked rather put out when his fingers grasped thin air. Hanzo tried not to laugh when Jesse looked at him accusingly—he had refused to dance with him if he wore the hat—and Hanzo tried not to acknowledge the warmth in his chest when he realised that Jesse had picked dancing with him over his cowboy paraphernalia.

“Good evening,” murmured Satya.

Hanzo was about to ask her how final exams had gone when he was interrupted by a booming voice.

“Good evening, students.” Headmaster Morrison stood in front of the teacher’s dais and swept his arms out at all of them, his bloodhound familiar blinking lazily at his side. “Welcome to the Winter Ball. I wish you all a pleasant evening and look forward to a night of good food and dancing to celebrate the end of our first semester.”

A cheer went up at that. It was a relief for exams to be finally done with. Hanzo had done much better in some subjects, but substantially worse in others, namely all the ones Jesse hated. They had both ended up getting top marks in Reyes’s class, somehow.

Morrison kept the speech short and sweet. The music started up, a quick jazz number they had all learned the steps to during the practice classes. Hanzo didn’t mind it, the music lended itself to dancing and quite a number of students began to make their way onto the dancefloor.

Hanzo breathed in, it was a couples’ dance.

Jesse turned to him, eyebrows raised. “You up for a dance?”

Hanzo looked down at the cat in his lap. He wasn’t sure whether he wanted to dance yet and opened his mouth to try and make an excuse. He was too slow though. The cat gave him a sly wink and stood up to jump back over the table to Satya in one smooth movement.

Jesse stood up and offered his hand, “guess you’re free now.”

Hanzo chewed his lip. What if he messed up, like in practice? What if they made fools of themselves in front of the entire school?

“C’mon Hanzo,” pleaded Jesse. He leaned in closer, eyes actually _smouldering_.

_Does that actually happen in real life?_ The thought flitted through the back of Hanzo’s mind. _Apparently so_.

Jesse’s hand was still there, waiting. His familiar leaned even closer, lips almost to Hanzo’s ear. “Please?” he whispered. “We look so good together.”

Hanzo’s mind went blank.

He blinked once, then sighed and gave in to the smile creeping onto his face. He took Jesse’s hand and allowed himself to be pulled up. They both smiled at Satya as she told them to have fun and left their table when she spotted Mei across the room.

Jesse led him onto the dancefloor where Hanzo took the lead, placing one hand on Jesse’s hip and holding the other lightly. This was one of the dances they had practiced. It was a good pace, and the both of them spun lazily around the dancefloor. Hanzo’s eyes kept wandering to the other students, he couldn’t stop thinking they were all judging him. But, after a while it became apparent that nobody particularly cared who was dancing with who. Most of the couples were just having fun, and a couple of the single students had begun to join in too.

When Hanzo finally dragged his eyes back up to see where Jesse was looking he almost had a heart attack. The expression on Jesse’s face could only be described as adoration and Hanzo swallowed hard at the lump that rose in his throat. He remembered to breathe this time, and he tried to concentrate on moving in time with the music without looking away from Jesse’s face. It didn’t stop his thoughts from swirling around and around like the dance. Or more accurately, one particular thought:

What had he done to deserve Jesse?

When the song came to an end, Hanzo slowed them to a stop. He stared up into Jesse’s eyes, enraptured. The air between them felt electrical. Charged. Hanzo took a deep breath as the next song began, another jazz number that they hadn’t learned the steps to. He was about to drop his hands from Jesse’s and take a seat when Jesse moved his hand from Hanzo’s shoulder down to his waist. Wherever he touched felt like fire, and Hanzo had to stop himself from gasping.

“We don’t know the steps,” he managed to stutter out. His throat was suddenly dry, raspy. He needed a drink of water or some punch or something—

“Do you trust me?” asked Jesse.

“Ahhh.” Hanzo’s mind was doing that blank thing again.

“C’mon Hanzo. Do you trust me?” Jesse gently brought Hanzo’s hand from his waist up to rest on his shoulder, reversing their positions.

“Yes,” he mumbled.

Jesse’s grin lit up the room. “Good, because I am an excellent dancer.” And they were off, Jesse leading him around and around the room.

Hanzo wasn’t bad at dancing, he was ok at leading, but he’d just never had much practice with a partner. Jesse, on the other hand…

Well, Jesse was full of surprises.

This wasn’t anything like the practice classes. They spun and circled and challenged the room with their dancing. Hanzo lost sight of the rest of the dancefloor. He only had eyes for Jesse and after that second dance the night became a blur.

He barely remembered eating dinner because then they were dancing again. The music got rowdier as the night went on, the teachers even joining in. And Hanzo let Jesse lead the entire way. It was almost bliss, a perfect moment, a particular way of moving, so aware of each other and so utterly in sync. Not a step out of place.

Professors Morrison and Reyes weren’t even a match for them.

Jesse knew what he was doing, and every step was one that Hanzo could follow.

By the end of the evening Hanzo was exhausted. His feet hurt, and he leaned against Jesse’s chest in the final slow sway of the evening. Jesse hummed along with the music contentedly, the sound rumbling from his chest against Hanzo’s cheek.

“Thank you,” said Hanzo quietly. He wasn’t particularly sure what he was thanking Jesse for, dancing with him, sure. Probably for putting up with his mood swings during exam block too. For understanding why he couldn’t go home this winter.

For… being his friend. His boyfriend. And his familiar. All rolled into one bundle of cowboy-themed human holding onto him while they danced.

Jesse was quiet for a moment. Then he swayed to a stop and Hanzo looked up. To find Jesse’s lips barely an inch away from his own. It took the barest of movements on Hanzo’s part to reach up and pull them onto his own. And he was kissing Jesse. In front of the entire school.

And he found that he didn’t particularly care what they thought.

Because kissing Jesse was good, and he was happy.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My kink is cute boys dancing.
> 
> Look out for the new chapter this weekend! :)
> 
> Come hang out with me on [Twitter](https://twitter.com/Jakallx) and [tumblr](http://jakallx.tumblr.com/)


	9. The Date

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, I didn’t expect this to end up being a third of the size of the original. Woops. Ah well, I had fun writing it. Hope you enjoy reading it! Also, my bad on posting this like, two whole months after Valentine’s Day. I did semi-plan it back then, but life got in the way of me writing it. 
> 
> This goes out to the super lovely Anon on tumblr who cheered me on. And to anyone who has commented or sent me a message. For real, it makes a rad difference to my day and inspires me to write more! Thank you so much <3

Hanzo carefully judged the position of his familiar. Jesse was sitting at the next table over, between Genji and Lena, spraying toast crumbs over everyone within three feet while laughing at something Genji must have said. He should be far enough away from him to not be able to eavesdrop and Hanzo was facing an angle so he wouldn’t be able to lipread—a skill he had only found out Jesse possessed recently, much to his own embarrassment.

“Mmm?” Amélie looked up from her croissant that she was delicately tearing to pieces. Widowmaker scuttled down from her normal vantage point on Amélie’s head to her shoulder, affording the terrifying spider a better position to stare at him with its eight black eyes.

Hanzo swallowed and tried to ignore the spider. “I… I need your help.” He felt like every single one of its eyes was judging him.

Amélie flicked her eyes up at him sceptically before concentrating once again on her thoroughly shredded pastry. He wasn’t entirely sure whether she intended to eat the flakes, but she seemed to be simply enjoying the act of pastry torture. When Amélie didn’t say anything, Hanzo realised that it was up to him to lead the conversation.

He lowered his voice. There wasn’t anyone around in a six-foot radius, but he didn’t want to take any chances. “I want…” too loud, he was too loud. _This is humiliating_ , he thought. But Amélie was his last option. His last hope. “I want—totakeJesseonadate,” he huffed out at once, so low he barely heard himself speak.

It quickly became apparent that Amélie _hadn’t_ realised he had spoken. She just began pushing the desiccated crumbs of her breakfast around her plate with a slender finger. Hanzo gritted his teeth and straightened his spine. Why was this so difficult? It wasn’t as if this was the first time he had spoken to her about Jesse. And it wasn’t as if their relationship was a secret.

He supposed in the end, he just wanted to surprise Jesse with something nice for once. _Urgh._ What was he becoming?

“I want to,” he tried again, a little louder. Amélie paused in her crumb pushing and leaned a little closer to him. He took a breath, “take Jesse on a date.”

Amélie’s mouth curled upwards in—Hanzo wouldn’t exactly call it a smile, more like…cruel satisfaction. As if he had just admitted one of his darkest secrets. She turned to him, brushing crumbs from her fingers before steepling her hands below her chin, almost as though she were praying.

“Go on.” She looked like one of those Saintly religious icons, only Hanzo had a feeling he was probably going to the devil for advice.

Hanzo stared at her, hoping she would understand without him having to say it.

Amélie rolled her eyes, “I can’t read minds.”

“I don’t know where to take him or what to do.” Why did he sound so desperate? Desperate enough to come to Amélie for help. But really, who else could he turn to for romantic assistance? Perhaps Satya… but he didn’t really feel like that was appropriate for him to ask of their friendship yet.

“And when would this special day be?”

Hanzo narrowed his eyes. She was going to make him say it.

“Valentine’s Day,” he eventually muttered.

Amélie outright grinned, even Widowmaker looked smug. “So you’ve come to me for help. This is appropriate. The French are masters of the art of romance.”

Hanzo felt the heat creep up his face. “I just want it to be nice,” he mumbled.

Amélie leaned forward and clasped Hanzo’s hands in her own. Her slender fingers made him feel like he was being trapped and the feeling intensified as Amélie smiled at him. “I’m going to make this the best Valentine’s Day ever.”

* * *

And that was how Hanzo found himself holding onto Jesse’s hand for dear life while they ran through the castle dungeon trying not to be eaten by a giant mutant worm.

“Worst. Valentine’s. Day. Ever.” Hanzo huffed as they careened around another corner. His foot slid on the wet cobblestones, slippery with silver-glowing moss—their only source of light—and he reconsidered his last thought. If he was honest with himself, this was still probably the best Valentine’s Day he’d had because he actually _had_ a date, no matter how terrible said date was currently going.

“And I was having such a good time,” wheezed Jesse as he heaved Hanzo forward with a yell, just managing to stop him from falling into the giant worm’s many, many teeth as they snapped closed around the empty space where his leg had just been.

Hanzo summoned a fireball into his hand and threw it at the worm’s head, wincing when it impacted and the worm reared backwards screeching in pain. Jesse tugged him forward again and they ran down the labyrinth of dark hallways, ducking and weaving into side tunnels, all the while descending further into the underbelly of the castle in the hope they would be able to get far enough ahead of the worm to lose it.

But it was no use. Hanzo could feel the tremors in the stones every time his foot hit the ground. The worm was still coming, much faster than they could run, and he and Jesse were going to be worm food if they couldn’t find a way out.

And there was no way out. They were hopelessly lost.

The pair turned another corner, Jesse bouncing off the wall with a painful-sounding thud, but not letting go of Hanzo’s hand for an instant.

And suddenly they were in a corridor of pitch black. There was no glowing moss and the air turned dry as bone, scraping against Hanzo’s throat as he and Jesse ran blindly down the tunnel. He concentrated for a second and a blue fireball flared to life in his hand, the flickering light dancing wildly around the tunnel as they ran.

He nearly tripped over in shock.

For one, the tunnel was wide. Much wider than the other stone brick hallways. The high ceiling was hewn out of hard stone, polished smooth, glistening from the blue light in Hanzo’s hand. And vines covered the walls. Living vines, the leaves shivered with the desperate passage of the two boys, almost as if they were waving them on. Hanzo lifted his hand with the fire in it, mouth agape at the strange life so far underground.

Then the worm burst into the tunnel, ripping the delicate vines from the smooth stone as it reared up and rushed at them.

“Up ahead!” he heard Jesse shout, his voice echoing down the tunnel, reverberating back louder and louder.

Hanzo ripped his gaze from the worm and saw what he, Jesse, and the worm were hurtling towards.

A massive stone door. Covered in runes. Locked tight.

A dead end.

Jesse reached the door first, finally letting go of Hanzo’s hand to try and push the solid stone open.

It didn’t budge.

The worm was getting closer and closer, Hanzo held up the flames in his hand as Jesse yelled and swore at the door, banging on it with his fists.

Hanzo backed up against the door, mind desperately trying to work out what he could do to save them. He came up empty. All he could think of was that he was going to die. Jesse was going to die. They were going to be eaten by a giant mutant worm deep in the castle dungeons. On Valentine’s Day.

_What a way to go._

As a last-ditch effort Hanzo threw the fireball at the worm’s open mouth, screaming a curse at it, just as he heard Jesse yell, “Sanctuary! Give us sanctuary!”

The worm reared backwards as Hanzo felt the smooth stone he was backed up against give way to nothing.

There was a brief, terrifying moment of weightlessness, and then there was no more worm with blue flame licking out of its singed mouth. Hanzo’s back hit the ground, his breath huffing out of him. He lay there for a moment, gasping before he blinked his eyes rapidly, trying to see something.

Anything.

But there was just darkness.

“Jesse?” Hanzo choked out, trying to catch his breath and stop his heart from exploding out of his chest. There was no answer for a second and Hanzo felt a stab of panic in his chest. “Jesse, where are you?” He waved his hands desperately in the darkness, wincing when one of them hit something fleshy.

“Ow,” said Jesse, and then Hanzo felt Jesse’s hand close around his own. “Sorry,” Jesse panted, “was just trying to catch my breath. I’m here.”

Hanzo clutched Jesse’s sweaty hand and leaned backwards to lie on the cool stone floor again. He could hear the sound of Jesse’s slowly calming gasps, breathing in time with his own as they both finally managed to get back some semblance of control.

“Sorry,” Hanzo muttered into the dark. He squeezed Jesse’s hand, making sure his familiar was real and there, and they both hadn’t somehow ended up as worm dinner.

“What for?” came Jesse’s reply, louder than Hanzo had been. They were both quiet as his words echoed around what must be a cavern, open and huge and with a strangely comfortable polished stone floor. Jesse winced and whispered, “woops. What for?”

Hanzo sat up. “For getting us into this mess. I…” he felt the words die on his lips, too embarrassed to say them. _I just wanted us to have a good time together,_ was what he wanted to say. Instead, they were stuck in cave, deep underground, and with the only way out blocked by a giant worm that wanted to eat them.

Jesse snorted, “nah, it’s ok. I know I wanted nothing more than to spend Valentine’s Day running from a giant worm. Gotta say, life as your boyfriend is certainly interesting.”

Hanzo groaned and rubbed a hand down his face—his spare hand, there was no way he was letting go of Jesse’s—and wiped away the sweat and pushed his hair out of his eyes, for whatever good it would do in the dark. He also pointedly ignored the stab of warm butterflies and mild panic he got every time Jesse called him his boyfriend.

He blinked a couple of times and held up his hand in front of his face. Black. Hanzo concentrated for a second and tried to summon a flame into his hand.

Nothing.

Hanzo stared at the black, eyes wide, visualising the flames.

Nothing.

“Uh Hanzo?” Jesse whispered. “Now would be a great time to, you know, make a fireball.”

“That’s what I’m trying to do,” he hissed back.

“Can you try harder?” Jesse sounded nervous and his hand was squeezing Hanzo’s tightly.

“What, are you scared of the dark?” Hanzo smirked.

“Well, I’m not a fan of it when there’s a giant worm that tried to eat us on the other side of a magic door we fell through.”

Hanzo instantly felt guilty again. He scooted over to sit next to Jesse, leaning against the other boy, taking comfort in making sure that the solid presence was felt before he let go of Jesse’s hand. Then he cupped both of his hands in front of himself and stared into the black, willing the flames to life.

Nothing.

“Are you ok?” asked Jesse. Hanzo felt Jesse’s arm clumsily reach around his waist to pull him close.

“It’s not working,” growled Hanzo. This was ridiculous, he wasn’t tired enough to not be able to summon a flame. It was the simplest of magics.

Jesse rested his head on Hanzo’s shoulder. “It’s ok. Take it easy. Maybe you just need to rest a little.”

“I’m not tired,” Hanzo grated out. He stared at the space where a flame should be.

Nothing.

Hanzo let out a snarl of frustration, throwing up his hands and just wanting to die alone right now for all the guilt he was feeling for dragging Jesse into this.

They were going to die in the dark because he was too incompetent to summon a flame.

“Hey, hey, it’s ok, Hanzo,” said Jesse, rubbing small circles into his back.

“It’s not ok!” Hanzo hissed back. “We’re going to die in this cave because I’m a worthless witch who can’t even summon a light to see by!” The shame crashed over him, familiar in all its darkness. He hadn’t felt it in a while, but now it was back in full force.

“We’re not gonna die,” said Jesse, his voice completely at ease, as if they weren’t stuck in a dark cavern with no way out. “Calm yer tits. There’s got to be a reason you can’t summon a flame—and don’t tell me it’s because you’re worthless. Let’s work through this.”

Hanzo took a deep breath and let it out in a huff. The shame was still there but it receded a touch. “I don’t know why it’s not working. I summoned fire just fine in the other tunnel.”

“Ok, that’s fine,” said Jesse, his voice soothing. “Is there some other reason it wouldn’t work?”

Hanzo shrugged, racking his brain. “Wards sometimes prevent magic from being used.”

“Wards… like the symbols on the stone door?”

Hanzo frowned, “perhaps. But they would have to be very powerful.”

There was a silence in which Hanzo felt like Jesse had turned to deadpan him. “You know we fell through a solid stone door, right?”

“I—yes.” Hanzo gritted his teeth. “So the door has anti-magic runes on it. So what? I’m still just as worthless for getting us into this.”

Jesse was silent for a moment before he let out a long sigh. “You know, dying in a magic dungeon is not exactly how I imagined I’d go.”

Hanzo felt the guilt climb into his throat. “Oh yeah? And how _did_ you imagine you would die.” Obviously not by the hand of the very witch that was bound to protect him, Hanzo thought bitterly.

He felt Jesse shrug, the movement nonchalant, but the fingers in his side held him a little tighter. “Don’t have to imagine it. You saved me from it.” He paused, but Hanzo had a feeling he had more to say. Jesse’s hand squeezed him tighter as he said softly, “I really… I really like you Hanzo. Like, _really_ like you.” Jesse cleared his throat while Hanzo wondered if his face got any hotter it would just spontaneously burst into flame and give them enough light to see by.

He swallowed his burning guilt and shoved his burning face into Jesse’s shoulder, breathing in the tattered flannel that still smelled like smoke and dry leaves no matter how many times Jesse washed it. “I really… really like you too,” he mumbled. The words weren’t difficult to reconcile with the warm feeling in his chest, threatening to burst through. “I just… I don’t want you to die… _I_ don’t want to die.” _I want to live because of you_ , is what he didn’t manage to choke out.

“We ain’t gonna die,” Jesse murmured again as he moved his hands up Hanzo’ sides, cupping his face and pulling it up. He missed Hanzo’s lips the first time, squishing their noses together and making Hanzo snort. But Jesse wasn’t a quitter and he did much better on the second attempt.

Hanzo felt himself melt into the kiss. Pulling Jesse in and feeling as if his chest might burst with the amount of warmth that was threatening to break free.

And then it did.

Hanzo felt _something_. The warmth rushed out and his eyes opened wide at the sudden flood of blue light in the cavern—no, tunnel. The walls that same smooth stone covered in living vines. Jesse’s eyes were similarly wide as they broke apart and stared around for the source of the light.

The blue seemed to surround them from all sides for a moment before it began to narrow, flowing down the tunnel, the light becoming smaller and smaller until it was just the size of one of Hanzo’s fireballs. Then it began to curve out of sight, following the tunnel around to the right, brightness fading as it disappeared.

Hanzo and Jesse both scrambled to their feet, grabbed for each other’s hand and tore off down the tunnel after it.

“Do you even know what we’re following?” Jesse shouted at him, his voice bouncing off the walls as their feet slapped against the stone floor.

“No!” Hanzo shouted back, putting on a burst of speed as the blue light bobbed out of sight around the curving edge of the tunnel wall. For all he knew the light could be luring them to their deaths, but Hanzo much preferred a quick death in the light, than a slow death in the dark.

The floor was angling downward and he and Jesse continued a downhill run for a good couple of minutes making Hanzo wonder just how deep under the castle they were going.

Suddenly the floor bottomed-out and the pair found themselves in a small cavern, the strange blue light flooding it from the other side and reflecting off a perfectly still pool of black water in the centre of the room. Hanzo skidded to a halt just before he ran into it.

Jesse wasn’t so lucky.

But he also didn’t let go of Hanzo’s hand.

He found himself jerked forward by Jesse’s momentum, arms flailing, to splash into the pool after his familiar. Hanzo gasped and managed to swallow a lungful of the frigid water, choking as he sunk down into the depths of the pool.

He felt a strong hand grasp the front of his uniform and heave him up. And then he was breathing air, and coughing up whatever had managed to get into his lungs. And Jesse was pulling him out onto the stone floor of the flooded blue cavern. Hanzo gasped until he began to breath normally again, finally looking up at Jesse.

The other boy had a split second of looking chagrined before he saw the state of Hanzo and howled with laughter. “You look like a drowned cat!”

Hanzo wrung out his long hair, annoyed that he had lost his hairband sometime during the worm pursuit. He flicked the water at Jesse, “I’ll drown you if you’re not careful.”

Jesse snorted and jammed a thoroughly soaked cowboy hat back onto his head before he looked around the cave. Hanzo gave up on his hair and stood up, sighing internally as he offered a hand out to Jesse. His exasperated sigh turned into a different kind of sigh altogether as Jesse beamed up at him and took his hand.

The light—a bright blue ball, the centre of which seemed to be constantly swirling in on itself, too bright for either of them to pick out what was actually hidden in the middle of it—had stopped in front of another massive stone door. The light bobbed up and down at them, almost shaking itself as it moved back and forth in front of the door.

Hanzo looked at Jesse. Jesse looked at Hanzo.

Jesse shrugged and motioned for him to take the lead. “You’re the expert in this weird magic shit.”

He approached the door, squinting at the carvings—a tower on fire, a figure raising its hands to the sky at the top and one falling to the fire below. Around them were runes, floating and changing and not at all like anything Hanzo had ever seen before. He swallowed as the light in front of the door moved in such a way that the carvings were thrown into sharp relief.

He heard Jesse suck in a breath behind him. “Isn’t that the tower… you know, from your story,” he whispered.

Hanzo nodded as the light began to swirl faster. He squinted, trying to see what made up the centre of it. As he approached however, the light darted up and around the door, but not before he caught a glimpse of what looked like… _scales?_

Then the light went _through_ the stone door. Just sunk right into it. Dissapearing.

And the cave was suddenly pitch black.

Hanzo froze, one hand outstretched to the door and one reaching behind him for where Jesse was.

“Hanzo?” Jesse whispered.

“Here,” Hanzo said, and felt Jesse walk into his arm. “Take my hand,” he whispered and felt relief when he felt Jesse’s hand close around his.

He brushed his fingers against the solid stone of the door, feeling the carvings and wondering how they would get through this one. “How did you get through the last one?” he whispered at Jesse.

“I just yelled ‘sanctuary’ a bunch.” Jesse paused, “It looks more and more like… maybe this whole place has something to do with that story you told on Halloween.”

“Mmm perhaps—

Hanzo bit his tongue as the whole room was flooded with blue light again as it poked itself halfway back through the stone. Jesse yelped and shielded his eyes as the light wiggled itself for a moment before disappearing back through the stone.

The dark was back but Hanzo was left with imprints burned into his retinas as he blinked rapidly, trying to figure out if he had just imagined the tiny pointed snout and long, flowing whiskers amongst the rest of the light.

“I think it wants us to follow it,” Jesse said.

Hanzo rolled his eyes, “truly, you are a master detective.”

“Wow. No need to be mean about it. I _was_ the one who saved us from the giant worm.”

Hanzo snapped his mouth shut, but couldn’t keep the grin from sneaking onto his lips. Then he pushed against the door and whispered, “sanctuary.”

The stone melted away from his hand and he hesitantly took a step, then another, until he and Jesse emerged into a large circular room, the stone no longer smooth, but cut into the shape of large bricks. The cheeky blue light moved around a massive stone casket that sat in the centre of the room.

No, tomb.

And sitting cross-legged atop the casket was a woman, looking rather surprised as she stared at the both of them.

The blue light jumped onto the casket and moved to curl up in the woman’s lap, snuggling a little as she put a hand atop it. She looked from the boys to the light in her lap, and then back up to the boys again.

Hanzo flicked his eyes to Jesse, suddenly rather nervous, but Jesse was staring at the woman, a little crease between his eyebrows.

“You’re a ghost,” Jesse said matter-of-factly.

The woman didn’t look anything like the ghost from the top of the West Tower. For one, she didn’t have half of her face and body burned off. For another, she looked solid. Just like a regular woman, albeit dressed in medieval clothes.

The only thing that gave the ghost thing away was the way she had begun to float a couple of feet above the stone casket.

The woman looked down at Jesse curiously before her face broke into a wide grin, almost as bright as the light in her lap. “Correct. Did you go for a swim?”

“Not intentionally,” Jesse said, seemingly fine to roll with whatever else the day was going to throw at them. “Whose idea was it to put a giant pool of water in the middle of a room anyway?”

The woman laughed and shrugged. “No idea. This place was built long before I was buried here.” There was a glint in her eye that belied a playfulness and perhaps a little madness.

“You’re Heijur,” whispered Hanzo, feeling a deep sinking in the pit of his stomach. Jesse’s hand squeezed his own, his familiar giving him a guilty look that Hanzo hoped the ghost didn’t catch.

“Also correct!” cried Heijur as she spun around in the air, now speaking to them both while floating upside down. The ball of light seemed totally fine with its new gravity situation and remained curled in her lap. “My, you two are on a role. What brings you down to my humble tomb today?”

_A badly drawn map and some unfortunate friend choices_ , thought Hanzo.

“We’re on a date,” said Jesse slowly.

The woman gasped and before Hanzo could blink she was reaching her arms around them both, the ball of light falling out of the air forgotten. It threw the shadows in the room around as it shook itself and settled atop the casket. Heijur _tried_ to hug them, but it was like being hugged by an ice bath and he shivered as she sunk through them so that they had to turn around to face her again.

“Congratulations!” she said as she beamed at them both, not concerned in the slightest that she had just fell through them. “You make a very cute couple.”

Hanzo closed his eyes, sighing at himself. Even a _ghost_ could make him blush.

“Why thank you,” he heard Jesse say. “Hanzo’s the cute one though.”

“Oh, don’t sell yourself short cowboy,” Heijur began. “This one is pretty lucky to have you—

Hanzo threw his hands in the air, “can we please focus on the situation.” He glared at Jesse and then turned to the ghost. “What is going on? Why are you here? What is that?” he pointed at the ball of blue light behind them.

The woman poked her tongue out at him and rose to float on her back above them, looking for all the world as though she was lazily drifting in a pool. “Hmm, well. What is going on, is that you are two witches who have managed to find themselves in the tomb of a thousand-year-old ghost buried in the dungeon of a witch school.”

Jesse nodded his head appreciatively at Heijur as she floated above them, “good summary.”

“Why are you here?” Heijur continued, “I’m not sure. I don’t really know why you would go on a date to a ghost’s tomb.” She paused and looked at them for comment.

“Uh. It wasn’t exactly a conscious choice,” muttered Hanzo.

She looked a little put out. “Oh, well ok then. And that,” she motioned to the ball of light behind them, “well, I had assumed it was a familiar belonging to one of you two. They visit me from the castle above sometimes. Tell me about the world as the centuries pass.” She squinted at them then, turning around to float on her stomach. “Where are your familiars?”

There was a brief silence before Jesse cleared his throat and pointed at Hanzo. “Actually, I’m Hanzo’s familiar.”

Heijur’s eyebrows shot up so fast they almost disappeared off her head. She looked between them both, head flicking backwards and forwards as the eyebrows came back down into a frown. “No you’re not,” she said to Jesse.

“Uhh, yes I am,” replied Jesse, crossing his arms.

Heijur mirrored his expression six feet above them and upside down again. “No. You really aren’t.”

Hanzo sucked in a breath, kind of annoyed at her surety. “If he’s not my familiar, then what is he?”

And suddenly Heijur was standing in front of him, one of her hands pressed against his chest. “What does your heart tell you?” she said it entirely seriously.

Hanzo narrowed his eyes at her while Jesse piped up from beside him. “Yeah, Hanzo. What does your heart tell you.” It sounded serious until he ruined it with a barely contained snort.

Hanzo looked down at the hand on his chest, rolling his eyes at Jesse. _Hypocirte_. Then he deflated and sighed. “I don’t know. But my brain is telling me to get out of this horrible cave and find some dry clothes.”

Heijur looked a little insulted by his answer and she drifted back over to her casket, picking up the blue light and putting it in her lap once more. “Fine then, leave me. It’s not like you’re the first people I’ve spoken to in a thousand years.” She turned her back on them both.

Jesse raised an eyebrow at him.

_What?_ Hanzo mouthed at him.

_That was rude_ , Jesse mouthed back.

Hanzo pointed at her and motioned, _she’s a ghost!_

_So? Ghosts still have feelings_ —Jesse stopped mid-sentence and looked over at Heijur. “Heijur,” he began hesitantly, “do you…Did you have a witch named Merga as your wife?”

Heijur’s back went rigid as Hanzo desperately motioned to Jesse to shut up. He had a brief flashback to how the wraith had burned from the blue fireball he had thrown at it.

“I did.” Heijur’s voice sounded dangerous. Quiet, like a blade whistling through the air. Hanzo made the throat cut gesture at Jesse.

But Jesse ignored him and ploughed on. “Only, I think we…met…her a while ago, and well, I was wondering if there is any way to, set you free? If that’s what you want?”

For the second time the light was abandoned from Heijur’s lap as she rushed her ghostly form to an inch away from Jesse’s nose. To Jesse’s credit, he didn’t even flinch, just raised an eyebrow.

Heijur stared into his eyes for a moment, before leaning back. “A strange one you are, the Not Familiar of Hanzo.”

“Name’s Jesse,” he mumbled.

“I did not think Merga would become a ghost,” she muttered. “It is a terrible thing, to not move on.”

“I don’t think she had much of a choice,” said Hanzo quietly, feeling rather guilty at the events that had transpired last Halloween. Ghosts remained behind because they refused to move on. Wraiths and spirits _couldn’t_ move on.

“She is not a ghost?” Heijur frowned in question.

“I don’t think so,” said Jesse. “She was much more… wraith-y.”

Heijur looked distraught at this revelation. “What kind of horror befell her to become such darkness?”

Jesse cleared his throat, “well, I’d imagine I wouldn’t be the happiest of fellas in the afterlife if I was burned alive in a tower.”

Now Heijur looked outright horrified. “So that was her fate. The villagers…” She shook her head sadly. “Did she say anything when you met her?”

Hanzo rubbed a hand down his face while Jesse fell silent. “She was a little more concerned with killing Jesse and I than talking about herself,” said Hanzo. He sighed and turned to Heijur. “If you know of a way to set her free, we can help. But you will have to tell us how to get out of here.”

“Help… yes we must help her,” Heijur flew up to the stone ceiling of her tomb, curling in on herself and putting her hands around her knees. The blue light swam up to join her, whizzing around her a couple of times in what looked like an attempt to cheer her up. “Why was she trying to kill you?”

Jesse opened his mouth but Hanzo cut him off before he had a chance to say anything stupid like ‘we tried to do a séance on Halloween and it went horribly wrong so Hanzo ended up burning her to death for the second time.’ Instead, Hanzo said, “it’s a long story. How do we put her to rest?”

Heijur drifted back down to stand in front of them. She looked at her hands while the blue light hid behind her ghostly form, making her translucent. Hanzo tried to see what was inside the light but it spun away from the group before he had a chance.

“Rings. Our rings were a symbol of our union. Perhaps if you brought hers back she will follow.”

“How are we meant to find a thousand-year-old ring in a collapsed tower?” asked Hanzo. He side-eyed Jesse pretty hard for even suggesting this ridiculous quest in the first place.

“The same way I think you’ll manage to find your way out of the dungeons,” Heijur sounded tired. A deep melancholy had invaded her voice and the way she held her body as she turned away from them and beckoned to the light behind her. It flew up to her hand and she whispered something to it, pausing a moment to glance back down at Hanzo, a calculating look in her eyes. Then, the light flew straight at Hanzo, he yelped and ducked just before it hit him in the face and he felt it brush over his head, a strange warmth that felt like a summer breeze touched him for just a moment. He whirled around, ready to follow it, but it had slowed down a little and was shaking. The shadows in the room wobbled with its strange… _wait, was it laughing?_

Hanzo didn’t have time to figure it out before the light disappeared through the stone door, plunging the tomb into darkness.

Almost darkness.

He blinked. Heijur was once again sitting cross-legged atop her casket, glowing with a surreal greenish light. She raised an eyebrow at them both. “Well? Better get going before he disappears.”

Jesse began to hustle towards the door, reaching towards the stone before Hanzo held out his hands, “wait, wait, wait! Did we all forget that there is a giant worm in the tunnels that wants to _eat_ us?”

“Oh yeah,” said Jesse. “Forgot about the worm.”

Heijur perked up a bit. “Oh, you mean Barry? He’s a good little caveworm. Keeps the nasties out of the dungeons.”

“He _is_ the nasty!” said Hanzo, before he paused. “I’m sorry. Did you just call it _Barry?_ Barry the caveworm?” Hanzo pinched the bridge of his nose, this was ridiculous.

Hiejur looked at him like he was an idiot. “Yes, Barry is his name. He’s very nice once you get to know him.”

“Know him!” Hanzo was yelling now. “How am I supposed to get to know a giant caveworm who’s only purpose in life is to eat me?”

Jesse was quietly sniggering behind him and Hanzo turned and gave him a don’t-push-me look that immediately shut his familiar up. He was tired, cold, and now they had to solve a thousand-year-old ghost quest.

“Calm down,” said Heijur, waving her hand at him in a placating gesture. “You just have to tell him to roll over. Then give him a pat on the belly and he’ll let you be on your way.”

Hanzo took a deep breath. Held it. Then let it go. “I hate this magic school,” he muttered as he turned his back on Heijur and walked over to Jesse.

Jesse put his arm around him and hugged him in close as they stepped through the stone door. “Really? Cause I think this is the most fun I’ve had in a while. Never a dull moment at a school for witches.” He paused for a second as they emerged in the cavern with the pool of water and the blue light waiting at the other end for them. “Wait, no. I take that back. Professor Torbjorn’s classes make me want to die.”

“You’re not alone there,” said Hanzo as he grabbed for Jesse’s hand and marched towards the blue light.

From there, it took a while, but eventually they emerged out of the other stone door. There was a brief moment of being left in the dark again by the strange blue light before Hanzo and Jesse took a deep breath and stepped through to the other side.

After much “ROLL OVER BARRY! ROLL OVER!” yelling, the two of them managed to make it past the giant placated worm, Jesse pausing to give it a belly rub and looking in horror at his slime-covered hand afterwards. He proceeded to try and wipe the disgusting slime on Hanzo and promptly decided this was a poor course of action when Hanzo summoned fireballs into both of his hands, finally able to do magic again.

“Alright, alright. Wasn’t actually goin’ to wipe it on you anyway. Calm down,” Jesse said hastily and tried to wipe the slime off onto the equally slimy-looking dungeon walls.

From there, they—and Barry, who had decided to accompany them—continued to followed the blue light as it jumped and wove through the dungeon passages until they began to see another light at the end of a particularly long, dark corridor. The two lights perked up as they spotted each other and then rushed towards the other. That’s when they heard the shouts.

“Is that them!” said Genji’s voice from beyond the light. “Holy shit, we found them!”

Hanzo exchanged a look with Jesse. His brother had come looking for them? _His brother_ had followed a strange light down into the castle dungeons to look for Hanzo and Jesse. Hanzo squirmed a little inside, it was still strange not to be opposed to Genji every second of every day. Genji even talked to him now, which was still something Hanzo was struggling to get used to.

As they got closer, the two lights swirled faster and faster around each other, blurring into a bright blue circle, beyond which Hanzo could see the full extent of who had come down into the dungeons to find them. Amélie and Genji were at the front of the party, with Lucio, Satya, and Lena behind them. All of them were staring, mouths open, at whatever was behind the pair.

Oh right. The giant worm.

Jesse looked from the group to the worm and back again. “It’s all right. Barry’s actually harmless.”

Hanzo stared incredulously at Jesse, “so harmless he only tried to bite my legs off three times!” Then he turned to Amélie and pointed an accusing finger at her over the glowing circle of light. “What the hell kind of date do you call this?” Hanzo said through gritted teeth, beyond caring what the others thought of him at this point. Genji snorted, but quickly covered up his amusement with a hand over his mouth. The others seemed to try to be hiding smirks and twitching lips, besides darting looks at the giant worm behind him.

Hanzo fumed.

Amélie spread her hands out in front of her in a what-are-you-talking-about gesture. “The dungeon is my favourite place,” she said smoothly. “I thought you two would enjoy a little adventure. Much more interesting than going to the movies or having dinner together.”

Hanzo closed his eyes. _Of course._ They could have just watched a movie. Or had dinner together. Why didn’t he just go for the traditional date stuff? Why did he ever think _Amélie_ was ever going to be able to help him?

Jesse took a deep breath, but paused as he considered her answer, and then let it out again. “Actually, you got a pretty good point. Aside from almost dying we had an… interesting time.”

“You could have killed us!” burst out Hanzo. “We almost died because your map became unreadable in under two seconds.”

Amélie looked affronted. “Now you’re blaming my map. It was a work of artistic genius.”

Hanzo and Jesse both looked at her incredulously. Hanzo reached into his pocket and slowly pulled out the damp ball of black paper and held it out to her. “Why did you colour the entire page in black ink?”

Amélie pouted. “It was more realistic that way. The black represents the darkness of the world closing in on the only guiding light; the tunnels that I clearly left un-inked.”

“The ink ran as soon as I took it out of my pocket!” Hanzo shook the soggy, tattered page at her. The dungeon had been too damp for anything perishable by water to survive longer than three seconds.

Amélie didn’t take it back, just looked at them both as if they didn’t understand.

Then Jesse clicked his fingers and pointed at the black page. “I get it. It’s a metaphor.”

Amélie beamed. Even Widowmaker looked impressed.

Hanzo wanted to kill her.

“Can you please explain why your artistic metaphor almost got us murdered by a giant worm?” He said through his teeth, while pointing at Barry behind him.

Amélie sighed, “I didn’t know the ink was going to run. Nor that there was a giant caveworm down here. Truly, the most beautiful metaphors of this world are the ones you don’t see coming.” Amélie’s eyes became distant as she looked at some point on the passage wall behind them both.

Hanzo and Jesse turned around, but there was nothing there. Hanzo gave up and screwed the black paper into a ball, throwing it at Amélie’s head. She saw it coming from a mile away though and ducked as the ball sailed over her head hitting Genji in the face instead.

Then the strangest thing happened. Amélie snorted and she turned away from them, hiding her face. The entire group looked at her strangely. Hanzo could see her shoulders shaking.

Was she _laughing_?

As if in answer, Amélie threw back her head and let out one of the most bizarre laughs he had ever heard. It was terrifying and elating all at once. He exchanged a bewildered look with Jesse and the two of them stared at Amélie as she clutched her stomach and giggled her way into silence.

“Are you done?” asked Hanzo after what seemed like an age.

Amélie hiccupped and wiped her eyes. Then she turned to them both. “I’m sorry. Truly, I am,” she didn’t look sorry, she looked like she had just had a good laugh at the misfortune she had dumped on them both. “I really didn’t know the ink was going to run… I may have gotten a little carried away when I was drawing it. But hey, at least the weird blue light came to save you.”

Hanzo felt like he shouldn’t accept this half-assed apology, but he sighed and crossed his arms. This is what he got for being friends with Amélie.

Meanwhile, Jesse raised an eyebrow at the group. “Wait, are you guys our rescue party? How the hell did you find us?”

Genji shrugged. “The blue light came and found us, and it was like, it wanted us to follow. So we did.”

Hanzo frowned down at the circle of light. Just as he was about to mention the ghost quest they may as well get on with, the circle vanished, plunging the corridor into darkness.

At the same time Hanzo felt a warmth rush into his chest, settling inside him and making him clutch at his heart because of the strange feeling. It was the same feeling he got whenever Jesse smiled at him, or when he was kissing Jesse, or basically anything to do with Jesse, really. Hanzo blinked a couple of times in the dark, trying to concentrate on the situation at hand rather than imagining himself kissing Jesse.

“Uh, did anyone bring a light?” came Lucio’s voice, out of the dark.

The feeling swirled in his chest, but Hanzo forced himself to concentrate a little and managed to get a small blue flame to flare to life in his hand, its flickering light reflecting on the faces of his friends.

“Excellent,” said Lucio. “I am so glad you’re good at magic, Hanzo.”

“Um, thanks,” muttered Hanzo.

Meanwhile Jesse loudly proclaimed, “he’s the best.” And Hanzo was thankful for the poor light so the others couldn’t see how red his face had suddenly become. “Anyway,” Jesse went on, “you guys would never believe what happened down here…”

Jesse proceeded to recount the entire adventure to the others as they walked out of the dungeon, Hanzo leading the way. Somehow, he seemed to know exactly which way to turn, the warmth inside him flaring whenever they came to an intersection, pointing him the right way. He didn’t know what it was yet, but there was some strange, vague hope that had formed inside the pit of his stomach. Perhaps… well, he wasn’t sure, but Heijur had said that the light was a familiar…and somehow, Jesse was not.

But he wasn’t exactly about to take some thousand-year-old crazy ghost lady’s word on the whole thing. Nor was he about to give up Jesse.

He gulped at that. If Jesse wasn’t his familiar, then what was he?

Eventually the group made it out of the dungeons, emerging into the underbelly of the castle. They left Barry behind in the dark and began the walk up to the West Tower. The others seemed to be committed to accompanying them both on their ghost quest, which made Hanzo rather feel like they were imposing on his date. Now it was more of a group excursion, and he wasn’t sure if there was any way to salvage it. Not that he had ever thought a dungeon adventure where they both almost died was ever really salvageable as a romantic Valentine’s Day date in the first place.

Just as they were about to break into one of the out-of-bounds corridors connecting the ruined West Tower Hanzo heard something. He held up a hand and the group paused, listening.

They all realised what the sound was at once.

Boots. Heavy boots belonging to a certain teacher that would probably skin them alive for being in an out-of-bounds corridor at the scene of the crime of their last misadventure. The group exchanged panicked looks with each other, but came to the conclusion that there was nowhere to run on account of the dead-end passage they were in. Instead, they all adopted casual poses and waited for the owner of the boots to show up and dictate their fate.

They watched in quiet terror as Professor Reyes walked in front of the entrance to the abandoned hallway. He was like a menacing black shadow that stomped across the light.

And kept going.

Hanzo looked at everyone, seeing his own sense of hope reflected in their eyes. And he also saw that hope turn to horror when the footsteps came to a halt. Then turned around and came back. Professor Reyes stared at them. Hanzo met his gaze and was greeted by an entirely unsurprised and unimpressed looking Reyes. His bushy eyebrows slowly crept up his forehead as he took in the state of Hanzo and Jesse. Hanzo glanced down at himself and cringed. He was a mess. His uniform was still damp from the pool of water and it was covered in muck and filth from the dungeons. Jesse hadn’t fared any better, and also had a large amount of worm slime on one sleeve.

“Do you want to explain, Mr Shimada?” Reyes asked.

“Not really,” Hanzo replied, before he bit his tongue, mortified. He heard a couple of the party gasp behind him, and Amélie muttered, “nice,” as she elbowed him in the ribs.

Jesse swooped in to save him. “Actually, sir, we’re on a quest to reunite a thousand-year-old ghost with her lover.”

Or doom him. Hanzo slapped a palm to his face, hiding his eyes.

Reyes was silent. Hanzo peeked at the professor through his fingers. “Right,” Reyes said eventually. “Is this something to do with that wraith you idiots summoned last Halloween?”

At that, there was much shuffling and downcast eyes from the rest of the group. Jesse meanwhile, had no fear. “Exactly,” he said, clicking his fingers. “Or more accurately the ghost in the tomb below the tower. We’re going to set them free.”

“The tomb below the tower…” Reyes trailed off. “You were in the dungeons.” He closed his eyes briefly and sighed. “Do I even want to know?”

“We were on a date,” said Jesse.

Hanzo and Professor Reyes turned to him in horror. “Shut up,” Hanzo hissed as he felt his face flame red. Jesse gave him and the professor a shit-eating grin.

Reyes looked back to Hanzo, “that was meant to be rhetorical.” Reyes shook his head. “What were you thinking, Shimada. Why didn’t you just eat dinner together or something?”

Hanzo didn’t think it was possible for his face to get any redder. He wanted to sink into the floor. Instead he glared at Reyes and Jesse and gave Amélie some mad side-eye, “are we all done giving me romantic advice?” he asked through gritted teeth. “Can we get back to the ghost quest please?”

Reyes’s lips twitched and he rubbed his temples tiredly. “Ok, I give up. Don’t die. I don’t want to do the paperwork.”

“We already did the not-dying stuff, sir,” said Jesse. “You got nothing to worry about.”

Reyes rolled his eyes to the ceiling and muttered something that sounded like, “gods give me strength,” before he turned on his heel and walked off.

Once he disappeared, the rest of the group turned to Jesse and stared at him.

“You have balls of steel, cowboy,” said Genji, punching Jesse in the arm.

“I cannot believe he let us go,” said Satya, appraising Hanzo with a delicate raised eyebrow.

“Ghost. Quest.” Hanzo gritted out, face burning. He turned to squeeze through the boarded-up entrance to the West Tower and climbed the ruined stairs up to the last tower room, not really caring if the others were following. The warmth in his chest was flaring, pulling him on. He couldn’t explain it, but he knew exactly where to go. So when the others finally caught up to him, he was staring at the tarnished golden ring he had found buried only a little way beneath a pile of rubble.

He felt Jesse’s hand on his shoulder and he closed his hand over the ring, hiding it from sight.

“How are we meant to find a ring in here?” asked Jesse, looking doubtfully at the collapsed ceiling and weathered stones forming piles of rubble.

Hanzo frowned and was about to reply when a sudden desire hit him. Maybe it was the warmth in his chest or maybe something else, but he ended up smiling slyly at Jesse and shrugging. “I don’t know. But I was thinking, maybe a kiss would help?” it ended up sounding a little more hopeful than he had intended, but Jesse’s eyes lit up and Hanzo decided that it didn’t really matter if he sounded desperate.

“I’m willing to try it,” Jesse said with a grin.

“Ew, gross,” muttered Genji from behind them.

That was when Hanzo remembered they had an audience on this date-turned-quest-turned-group-excursion. And it was also when he realised he didn’t care in the slightest. He pulled Jesse down into a kiss that ignited that feeling in his chest once again, while simultaneously making a rude hand gesture in Genji’s general direction.

When they broke apart Jesse was smiling at him with awe, his eyes bright and sparking at the fire that was casually burning in Hanzo’s chest.

“Did it work?” Jesse asked breathlessly.

Hanzo grinned up at him. “No. I just wanted to kiss you. I found the ring five minutes ago.” He held up the ring in front of Jesse’s nose and raised an eyebrow.

Jesse barked out a laugh and grabbed Hanzo’s hand, giving it a squeeze. “Let’s go free some ghosts.”

The trip back down to the tomb was much less eventful than the first. Hanzo once again followed that feeling in his chest, the warmth that flared and let him know they were going the right way. Barry joined them halfway through the dungeon, Amélie paused to give him a belly rub and only looked slightly disgusted at the worm slime that coated her hands afterwards.

When they reached the first stone door the group paused. Jesse turned to it and said, “sanctuary.” He pushed against the stone.

Nothing happened.

Jesse frowned and tried again.

But the door stayed solid.

“Is that meant to happen?” asked Amélie.

Jesse gave her a withering look. “Do you think it’s meant to happen?”

“I wouldn’t know, I’m not the one on the ghost quest—

Hanzo stopped listening to the bickering pair. Instead, he concentrated once again on the warmth that buzzed in his chest. It was like anticipation. It was like the nervous butterflies that had plagued him in those first few weeks of meeting Jesse, and that occasionally made themselves known when Jesse threw one of his smiles at Hanzo. Or held his hand. Or just talked to him.

Hanzo leaned his head against the cool stone as the buzzing intensified. Gods above, what had become of him?

He didn’t have a chance to answer his own question as the buzzing suddenly rushed out of him at the same time the door disappeared and he fell face-first through it.

Alone.

“Jesse!” Hanzo landed on the smooth stone floor of the passageway, now lit by two blue lights, playfully buzzing over one another. Hanzo didn’t spare them a glance as he turned and banged his fist against the now-solid stone door. “Jesse!”

Nothing.

The blue lights didn’t give him a chance to think about his situation, as they began to rush down the passageway. Hanzo didn’t have much of a choice but to follow them or be left in the dark.

He began to run after them, curving down the passageway, trying to not let the dry panic of being stuck down in a cave alone overwhelm him.

When he entered the cavern with the pool of dark water, the lights were pacing in front of the stone door. They waited until he had safely skirted the pool before disappearing into the stone. But not before Hanzo glimpsed the carving, noting that it no longer depicted a burning tower. It was whole again. Two figures stood on the tallest balcony, locked in an embrace. Then the room was plunged into darkness just as Hanzo put a hand on the door and pushed through it.

The light inside the tomb was blinding. The two blue orbs were chasing each other around the circular cavern, playful in their movements. Heijur was standing atop her casket, waiting for him.

He frowned at her as he pulled the ring out of his pocket. Almost dropping it when it burned his fingers. It was cold. Colder than ice, and Hanzo had to pull the sleeve of his uniform over his hand just to hold it. He felt it then, a shivering of energy—expectation—as the ring began to glow with a pale white mist.

He swallowed his nervousness and moved to gently place the ring atop Heijur’s casket. White mist began to pour out of it as the blue lights spun around the ceiling of the room, faster and faster. Hanzo licked his lips and began to back towards the stone door.

And then the wraith took form. The burnt body and collapsed face was there for a moment until the mist coalesced around it and filled in the gaps. Hanzo blinked, and standing in front of him was a young witch. Heijur reached out to Merga and took the other ghost in her arms weeping openly. When they finally broke apart the ghosts came to stand in front of Hanzo. Heijur smiled down at him while Merga appraised him. She nodded once. He was forgiven.

“Thank you,” whispered Heijur. Hanzo felt her lips brush against his forehead and then the ghosts began to fade, their lights dimming.

Merga turned to Heijur, staring into her eyes. Heijur gave one last smile to Hanzo before her body became translucent.

It spurred him to action. “Wait!” he shouted. “Tell me what you meant when you said Jesse wasn’t my familiar.”

Heijur’s lips curled up into a grin and she looked at him knowingly, “I think you already know the answer to that.” Her voice began to weaken along with her body, the pale mist disappearing too.

Hanzo let out a frustrated breath. “Well, if you won’t tell me that, at least tell me what those are.” He waved up at the lights. “They… they came from inside me.” He pointed to his chest.

Heijur looked up at the swirling lights, the last of her ghostly form fading.

A single word echoed around the room, chasing the lights, as Hanzo was left alone in an empty tomb.

_Dragons._

He felt his stomach leap into his throat, almost choking as he inhaled sharply. The lights didn’t give him time to think as they flew out of the tomb once again.

Hanzo turned on his heel and ran after them, bracing himself against the stone door and pushing through. The lights were already on the other side of the pool cave. “Hey wait!” He shouted at them, wincing as his voice bounced around the cave. The lights paid no notice and began to round the corner of the passageway, disappearing upwards.

Hanzo tore off after them, cursing them the whole way up to the first stone door. He stopped when he saw them pacing up and down in front of the door. He approached carefully, not wanting to scare them off. “Are you really dragons?” he asked the lights quietly.

One of them paused and bobbed up and down once. The other did a little loop-de-loop in the air.

Hanzo swallowed the lump in his throat. “Are you—are you my dragons?” he choked out.

Both lights stopped moving for a second and then began to shake, their lights making his shadow jump wildly around the passageway. He crossed his arms at them, getting the uncomfortable feeling that they were laughing at him.

“Well, if you aren’t my dragons, whose dragons are you?”

Both lights stopped shaking for a moment. They looked at one another and bobbed up and down once more, shrugging. Then, without warning, they rushed at Hanzo, lengthening out, lights dimming so he could finally see what was hidden amongst the bright blue glow. Dragons. magnificent, jaws wide, open and coming straight at him.

Hanzo’s eyes widened as they disappeared right into his chest, gasping as the buzzing warmth returned, igniting the fire again. It swirled round and round until it slowly began to settle once more. He was left breathing hard, in a pitch-black cave, trying to figure out what the hell was happening.

He put his hand against the stone door and slowly stepped through it, blinking rapidly as the light of the flame that Amélie was holding cupped in her hands hit his eyes. She looked terribly worried for just a moment until her eyes widened as he stepped out of the doorway.

He was greeted by a chorus of relieved voices all asking if he was ok, but he only had ears for one. The one that made his chest flare with warmth. The one whose hands twirled in his own and yanked him to stare into dark-brown eyes that looked thoroughly unimpressed. “Can you please not give me a goddamn heart attack next time we go on a ghost quest?” Jesse said.

Hanzo grinned up at him, unable to contain the high he felt from the buzzing in his chest. He did raise an eyebrow at that comment though. “It was payback for the last ghost encounter.”

Jesse raised an eyebrow back. “Oh, the one where you summoned a wraith that _actually_ killed me and then attempted fairytale CPR?”

Hanzo felt his face heat up. This was not a battle he could win. “Shut up,” he muttered instead.

“What the hell happened down there anyway?” asked Jesse.

Hanzo turned to the others as they crowded around. “Solved the ghost quest. I think they’re gone now. Finally at peace with each other.”

“How did you see anything down there?” asked Genji. “I thought you said magic didn’t work.”

“It didn’t,” said Hanzo, feeling the excitement in his chest again. “The lights came back.”

Jesse raised an eyebrow in question. “Did you figure out what they were?”

Hanzo turned and grinned at his group of friends.

“Dragons.” 

* * *

 

That evening, after a long, hot shower and a change of clothes, Hanzo and Jesse lazed in front of the common room fire. Hanzo was desperately trying to finish all the homework he had neglected that weekend, while Jesse studiously ignored his own and kept trying to get Hanzo to pay him attention. In the end, Hanzo gave up on the homework and leaned against his Not Familiar contentedly.

“You know,” mumbled Jesse. “That was definitely the best Valentines date I’ve ever been on. Besides almost dying at the start, it turned out pretty great in the end.”

Hanzo buried his face in Jesse’s shoulder. “Don’t remind me. I’m really sorry about that. I won’t ever trust Amélie’s advice again.”

Jesse snorted and put an arm around Hanzo, pulling him in close. “No, I’m being serious. I had a good time, cause I got to spend it with you.”

Hanzo looked up at Jesse, lips curling a little at how cheezy Jesse was.

He loved it.

Hanzo reached up, put his arms around Jesse’s neck, and kissed him. When they broke apart Hanzo grinned at his boyfriend. “Best Valentine’s Day ever.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What if Amélie was just a giant troll?
> 
> So… you know that secret tunnels episode of Avatar the Last Airbender… yeah… sorry. My original planning note for this was literally just: It’s basically the secret tunnels episode of avatar???  
> My only regret is that I didn’t manage to work in a musical number at some point.
> 
> Hope you liked it! I might write more (I’m open to taking prompts/requests). I don’t know. But this AU is a blast to write in and it is super lovely to read people’s comments. You guys are the best :D

**Author's Note:**

> I have good news and bad news.
> 
> Bad news is: I wrote this fic. It's going to be lame and dorky because I am lame and dorky...
> 
> Good news is: I wrote this fic. It's all pre-written. Yay. Chapters will be released as I edit them. I'm aiming to have the final one up by Halloween.
> 
> Hope you like it. :)
> 
> Hang out with me on [Twitter](https://twitter.com/Jakallx) and [tumblr](http://jakallx.tumblr.com/)


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